No abstract available.
Hepacivirus* ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis* ; Korea* ; Prevalence*

BACKGROUND: Korean national cancer screening program selected fecal occult blood test (FOBT) as a primary screening method of colorectal carcinoma in adult > or =50 yr old irrespective of symptom. Notice to pre-analytical errors is especially important for the FOBT because examinees collect and submit their specimens to laboratories by themselves. We examined the influences of the fecal storage temperatures, durations and with or without buffer on the FOBT results. METHODS: Thirty FOBT-positive specimens above 100 ng/mL were used for the study from July to August 2008. Quantitative FOBT was performed with OC-sensors II (Eiken Chemical Co., Japan). Each specimen was divided into 4 groups. Two groups in plastic buffer-free containers were kept either at 4degrees C or room temperature (25-28degrees C), respectively. Another two groups in buffer-tubes were also kept either at 4degrees C or room temperature. Each group was repeatedly examined with same method every 24 hr up to 120 hr. RESULTS: Eleven specimens (36.7%) in buffer-free containers converted to negative results (below the 100 ng/mL) after 24 hr and 17 specimens (56.7%) did after 48 hr at room temperature. Ten specimens (33.3%) in buffer-free containers converted to negative after 48 hr at 4degrees C. Specimens contained in buffer-tubes showed little change; 3 specimens (10.0%) at room temperature and no specimen at 4degrees C showed negative conversions after 48 hr. CONCLUSIONS: Buffer-tube minimizes false negative FOBT results during pre-analytical delay of specimen. The examinees using buffer-free containers need to be educated to hand in their specimens to laboratories as soon as possible.
Buffers ; Colorectal Neoplasms/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; *Occult Blood ; *Specimen Handling ; Temperature ; Time Factors

To evaluate changes in olfactory bulb size in patients with reduced or no sense of smell, 23 normals and 20 hyposmics or anosmics were examined with nasal endoscopy, olfactory testing and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the olfactory bulb. Olfactory testing consisted of a threshold test by bounded three-alternative forced-choice modified ascending method of limits (CCCRC test) and the step method using threefold dilutions of 1-butanol and an olfactory identification test using 32 natural odors familiar to Koreans. The MR evaluation involved the estimation of olfactory bulb size by using a 13 cm diameter general purpose surface coil with 3 mm T1-weighted MR coronal sections without interval. The cut areas of the olfactory bulb in MR coronal sections were measured with a Hope Graph Planimeter (model No. 9-003) after fivefold enlargement. The olfactory bulb was observed in three cuts of MR imaging in all subjects. In the measured area of the olfactory bulb, the anterior portion of the olfactory bulb was significantly smaller than the middle and posterior areas in normals, but hyposmics or anosmics showed decreased olfactory bulb area, especially in height, when compared with normals. There was good correlation between olfactory bulb area and olfactory threshold as well as olfactory identification in normals and patients. MR imaging can be a useful tool for patients with hyposmia or anosmia.
1-Butanol ; Endoscopy ; Hope ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Odors ; Olfaction Disorders ; Olfactory Bulb* ; Smell

BACKGROUND: During coronary angiography, some electrocardiographic changes occured due to contrast media, which do life threatening influences. METHODS: We compared the electrocardiographic changes which were induced by injection of three radiopaque contrast media during selective coronary angiography in 49 patients with chest pain. One of the contrast media was high osmolar ionic(Urografin_76) and the another was low osmolar ionic(Hexabrix) and the last was non-ionic(Ioversol). Electrocardiograms were obtained before, during and after selective coronary angiography. RESULTS: The changes of S-T segment or T were decreased in non-ionic group rather than high osmolar or ionic group. And there was significant Q-Tc interval prolongation among all three groups except comparision of low osmolar ionic contrast dye and non-ionic contrast dye in left coronary angiography. CONCLUSION: Non-ionic low osmolar contrast media was safer than high osmolar or ionic contrast medial because of lesser change of Q-Tc interval during selective coronary angiography.
Chest Pain ; Contrast Media* ; Coronary Angiography* ; Diatrizoate Meglumine ; Electrocardiography* ; Humans ; Ioxaglic Acid ; Osmolar Concentration

BACKGROUND: We intended to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of a multiplex reverse transcriptase- PCR (mRT-PCR) assay kit under dual priming oligonucleotide system (DPO) for the childhood acute respiratory tract infections. METHODS: Two hundred nasopharyngeal aspirates were taken from children < or = 5 yr old admitted due to acute respiratory infections in 2004. Direct fluorescent antibody (FA) assays were performed with fresh specimens; then, mRT-PCRs for the detection of 12 respiratory viruses (Seeplex RV detection kit, SeeGene, Seoul, Korea) were tested with frozen specimens. RESULTS: FA assays for five common respiratory viruses showed positive results in 66 patients (33.0%), while mRT-PCR detected causative viruses in 112 patients (56.0%), including 16 co-infected cases (8.0%). A total of 129 viruses were identified: respiratory syncytial virus A/B (38.0%/7.8%), influenza virus A/B (10.1%/5.4%), parainfluenza virus 1/2/3 (7.0%/3.1%/7.8%), coronavirus 229E or NL63 (6.2%), human metapneumovirus (4.7%), adenovirus (4.7%), rhinovirus (3.9%), and coronavirus OC43 (1.6%). CONCLUSIONS: DPO-based mRT-PCR was found as a sensitive tool for the detection of the viruses that cause childhood respiratory infections. Clinical significances of the agents detected by mRTPCR need further evaluations.
Child, Preschool ; DNA, Viral/analysis ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Oligonucleotide Probes ; Reproducibility of Results ; Respiratory Tract Infections/*diagnosis/epidemiology/virology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction/*methods ; Virus Diseases/*diagnosis/epidemiology/virology ; Viruses/genetics/*isolation & purification

Multiplex PCR of nasopharyngeal aspirates detected viruses and atypical bacteria in 75.3% (219/291) of infants with acute respiratory infections from July 2010 to June 2013. Frequent viruses were human rhinovirus (29.9%), parainfluenza virus (21.7%), respiratory syncytial virus (17.9%), and human metapneumovirus (10.3%). Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Bordetella pertussis were detected in 3.4% and 0.3%, respectively.
Bacteria ; Bordetella pertussis ; Humans ; Infant* ; Metapneumovirus ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Paramyxoviridae Infections ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses ; Respiratory Tract Infections* ; Rhinovirus

BACKGROUND: Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) capable of detecting both toxin A and toxin B is strongly recommended for the diagnosis of Clostridium difficile associated disease. Therefore, we evaluated two different EIAs for the detection of C. difficile toxin A/B. METHODS: For a total of 228 stool specimens we performed bacteriologic cultures for C. difficile and examined for toxin A and toxin B using enzyme linked fluorescent immunoassay (ELFA; VIDAS CDAB, Bio-Merieux sa, France) and ELISA (C.DIFFICILE TOX A/B II, TECHLAB, USA). We also performed PCR assays for toxin A and B genes in 117 C. difficile isolates that grew from the stool cultures and compared the results with those obtained with the two different EIAs. RESULTS: The concordance rate between ELFA and ELISA was 85.5% (195/228). Using the culture and PCR results as the standard, the sensitivity/specificity of the ELFA and ELISA were 65.0%/72.1% and 71.8%/70.3%, and for positive/negative predictive values were 78.4%/69.6% and 71.8%/70.3%, respectively (P value >0.05). No differences were observed between the results of ELFA and ELISA with toxin A- toxin B+ strains of C. difficile. CONCLUSIONS: The sensitivity of the ELISA was slightly higher than that of ELFA for toxin A and toxin B, but the specificity and positive predictive value of the ELFA were rather higher than those of the ELISA, although no statistical differences were observed. A bacteriologic culture and PCR assay for toxin genes are recommended in case the both EIAs are negative.
Bacterial Proteins/*analysis/genetics/immunology ; Bacterial Toxins/*analysis/genetics/immunology ; Clostridium difficile/genetics/isolation & purification/*metabolism ; Enterotoxins/*analysis/genetics/immunology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/*methods ; Feces/microbiology ; Fluorescent Dyes/chemistry ; Humans ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic

BACKGROUND: With a technical improvement of the assay system, automated immunoassay analyzers for hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) are widely used. However, some discrepancies between assays are still being reported. We compared the qualitative and quantitative results of three kinds of anti-HBs assays. METHODS: Serum samples were collected from 517 patients and anti-HBs were determined using AxSYM AUSAB, Bayer ADVIA Centaur, and Roche Elecsys assay systems. RESULTS: The concordance rates between the three assays were 95.1% (543/571). The concordance rates were 97.7% between Centaur and Elecsys, 96.3% between AxSYM and Centaur, and 95.6% between AxSYM and Elecsys. Their correlation coefficients for quantitative results were 0.97, 0.94, and 0.93 in the same order. Twenty-eight specimens showed discrepant results, and all of them had antibody values below 31.5 mIU/mL. CONCLUSIONS: Three immunoassays for anti-HBs presented a high concordance and correlation; however, the results should be interpreted with caution, because there were still significant differences between assay methods, especially for a low-level of anti-HBs.
Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Immunoassay

BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile is one of the most important pathogens responsible for nosocomial diarrhea. The disease is mediated by two toxins, designated as A and B; therefore, identification of the toxins is important for diagnosis. However, culture or cytotoxin assay are not easily done because of tedious procedures. Instead, toxin A immunoassay is widely used. We evaluated two different enzyme immunoassays (EIA) for C. difficile toxin A and compared them with culture and PCR results. METHODS: A total of 65 stool specimens were examined for toxin A using enzyme linked fluorescent immunoassay (ELFA, VIDAS CD II, Bio-Merieux, France) and enzyme linked immunosolvent assay (ELISA, C.DIFFICILE TOX A II, TECHLAB, USA ) and were also cultured for C. difficile using cycloserine cefoxitine fructose agar. We amplified toxin A and B genes using primers NK9-NK 11 and NK104-NK105, respectively, in 23 C. difficile isolates. RESULTS: The concordance rate between ELFA and ELISA was 76.9%. The sensitivity and specificity of the ELFA and ELISA based on the culture and PCR results for toxin A gene were 84.6%/98.1% and 84.6%/67.3%. Positive and negative predictive values were 91%/96.2% in VIDAS and 78.0%/ 94.6% in TECHLAB. The positive rates of toxin B genes were 100%, 83.3% and 50% in toxin A positive, variant and negative strains, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The sensitivities of the ELFA and ELISA for toxin A were the same, but specificity and positive predictive value of the ELFA were higher than those of the ELISA. PCR or EIA method detecting both toxin A and toxin B is strongly recommended, because the variant strains (toxin A negative and toxin B positive) of C. difficile may be more prevalent than were anticipated in Korea.
Agar ; Cefoxitin ; Clostridium difficile* ; Clostridium* ; Cycloserine ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fructose ; Genes, vif ; Immunoassay ; Immunoenzyme Techniques* ; Korea ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is one of the most important serological markers used to diagnose hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Automated immunoassays have been developed, meeting the current clinical requirement of HBsAg assays over the years. This study was performed to determine the degree of agreements between 3 kinds of HBsAg assay systems. METHODS: Serum samples from 425 patients were assayed by the HBsAg assay systems of Elecsys (Roche Diagnostics, Germany), ADVIA Centaur (Bayer Diagnostics, USA), and AxSYM (Abbott Laboratories, USA). RESULTS: The concordance rates among the 3 assays were 100%. A total of 249 (58.6%) specimens were positive, and their index values showed a weak correlation between the 3 assays; nevertheless, positive specimens with low levels (<10) of index values in one system also presented low values in other systems, and all of them were confirmed by neutralization assays. CONCLUSIONS: The 3 automated HBsAg assay systems presented a high level of concordance.
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens* ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Immunoassay*