The incidence of vivax malaria in Korea was reduced to a low plateau. For successful elimination of vivax malaria, socio-behavioral changes in the communities are essential. This study aimed to figure out awareness of the inhabitants on the vivax malaria endemicity. The 407 participants including vivax malaria patients and uninfected inhabitants in Gimpo- and Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, known as high-risk areas in Korea. We used a community-based study design and non-probability sampling method using primary data. Except for the perception about the public health facilities’ capability to cope with anti-malaria programs, the 2 groups of participants shared the same level of awareness about public promotional and educational measures and opinions for malaria elimination from the community. Thus, our future goals for malaria prevention and elimination are to develop more active and well-organized community-based education and evaluation programs collaborating with the community healthcare authorities and local governments.

The circumsporozoite protein (CSP) of Plasmodium spp. is a diagnostic antigen and useful biomarker for monitoring short-term/seasonal changes to malaria transmission. Using P. vivax CSP antibody ELISA, epidemiological characteristics were analyzed in the residents of Ganghwa, Cheorwon, Paju, and Goseong from 2017 to 2018. In Ganghwa and Cheorwon, 1.6% and 1.2% of residents, respectively, were PvCSP-antibody-positive in 2018, which indicates a decrease of 0.4% in the positive rate compared to 2017. The annual parasite incidence (API) in Ganghwa and Cheorwon was 24.9 and 10.5 in 2017 and 20.3 and 10.7 in 2018, respectively. Although the changes were not significant, the API in Ganghwa decreased slightly by 4.5 in 2018 compared to the previous year. In Paju and Goseong, 3.9% and 2.0% of residents were positive for the PvCSP antibody. The API in Paju was 13.1 in 2017 and 16.0 in 2018, although no malaria patients were reported for the 2 years. Therefore, the results suggest that PvCSP is a useful antigen for confirming initial malaria infection. Additionally, considering that the antibody is relatively transient, it can be employed for sero-epidemiological studies to determine the extent of malaria transmission in the current year.

The circumsporozoite protein (CSP) of Plasmodium spp. is a diagnostic antigen and useful biomarker for monitoring short-term/seasonal changes to malaria transmission. Using P. vivax CSP antibody ELISA, epidemiological characteristics were analyzed in the residents of Ganghwa, Cheorwon, Paju, and Goseong from 2017 to 2018. In Ganghwa and Cheorwon, 1.6% and 1.2% of residents, respectively, were PvCSP-antibody-positive in 2018, which indicates a decrease of 0.4% in the positive rate compared to 2017. The annual parasite incidence (API) in Ganghwa and Cheorwon was 24.9 and 10.5 in 2017 and 20.3 and 10.7 in 2018, respectively. Although the changes were not significant, the API in Ganghwa decreased slightly by 4.5 in 2018 compared to the previous year. In Paju and Goseong, 3.9% and 2.0% of residents were positive for the PvCSP antibody. The API in Paju was 13.1 in 2017 and 16.0 in 2018, although no malaria patients were reported for the 2 years. Therefore, the results suggest that PvCSP is a useful antigen for confirming initial malaria infection. Additionally, considering that the antibody is relatively transient, it can be employed for sero-epidemiological studies to determine the extent of malaria transmission in the current year.

Mosquitoes are globally distributed and important vectors for the transmission of many human diseases. Mosquito control is a difficult task and the cost of preventing mosquito-borne diseases is much lower than that for curing the associated diseases. Thus, chemical control remains the most effective tool for mosquito. Due to the long-term intensive use of insecticides to control mosquito vectors, resistance to most chemical insecticides has been reported. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between insecticide resistance and target site mutation of L1014 kdr and G119 ace alleles in 5 species/species group of mosquitoes (Aedes vexans, Ae. albopictus, Anopheles spp., Culex pipiens complex, and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus) obtained from 6 collection sites. For Anopheles spp., the proportion of mosquitoes with mutated alleles in L1014 was 88.4%, homozygous resistant genotypes were observed in 46.7%, and heterozygous resistant genotypes were observed in 41.8%. For the Cx. pipiens complex and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus species, homozygous resistant genotypes were found in 25.9% and 9.8%, respectively. However, target site mutation of L1014 in the Ae. vexans nipponii and Ae. albopictus species was not observed. Anopheles spp., Cx. pipiens complex, and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes were resistant to deltamethrin and chlorpyriphos, whereas Ae. vexans nipponii and Ae. albopictus were clearly susceptible. We also found a correlation between the resistance phenotype and the presence of the L1014 kdr and G119 ace mutations only in the Anopheles spp. population. In this study, we suggest that insecticide resistance poses a growing threat and resistance management must be integrated into all mosquito control programs.

In recent years, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have been widely used for malaria detection, primarily because of their simple operation, fast results, and straightforward interpretation. The Asan EasyTest(TM) Malaria Pf/Pan Ag is one of the most commonly used malaria RDTs in several countries, including Korea and India. In this study, we tested the diagnostic performance of this RDT in Uganda to evaluate its usefulness for field diagnosis of malaria in this country. Microscopic and PCR analyses, and the Asan EasyTest(TM) Malaria Pf/Pan Ag rapid diagnostic test, were performed on blood samples from 185 individuals with suspected malaria in several villages in Uganda. Compared to the microscopic analysis, the sensitivity of the RDT to detect malaria infection was 95.8% and 83.3% for Plasmodium falciparum and non-P. falciparum, respectively. Although the diagnostic sensitivity of the RDT decreased when parasitemia was < or =500 parasites/microl, it showed 96.8% sensitivity (98.4% for P. falciparum and 93.8% for non-P. falciparum) in blood samples with parasitemia > or =100 parasites/microl. The specificity of the RDT was 97.3% for P. falciparum and 97.3% for non-P. falciparum. These results collectively suggest that the accuracy of the Asan EasyTest(TM) Malaria Pf/Pan Ag makes it an effective point-of-care diagnostic tool for malaria in Uganda.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Antigens, Protozoan/blood/*isolation & purification ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Malaria, Falciparum/*diagnosis/epidemiology ; Parasitemia ; Point-of-Care Systems ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Uganda/epidemiology ; Young Adult

Plasmodium vivax reemerged in the Republic of Korea (ROK) in 1993, and is likely to continue to affect public health. The purpose of this study was to measure levels of anti-P. vivax antibodies using indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) in border areas of ROK, to determine the seroprevalence of malaria (2003-2005) and to plan effective control strategies. Blood samples of the inhabitants in Gimpo-si, Paju-si, and Yeoncheon-gun (Gyeonggi-do), and Cheorwon-gun (Gangwon-do) were collected and kept in Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Out of a total of 1,774 serum samples tested, the overall seropositivity was 0.94% (n=17). The seropositivity was the highest in Paju-si (1.9%, 7/372), followed by Gimpo-si (1.4%, 6/425), Yeoncheon-gun (0.67%, 3/451), and Cheorwon-gun (0.19%, 1/526). The annual parasite incidence (API) in these areas gradually decreased from 2003 to 2005 (1.69, 1.09, and 0.80 in 2003, 2004, and 2005, respectively). The highest API was found in Yeoncheon-gun, followed by Cheorwon-gun, Paju-si, and Gimpo-si. The API ranking in these areas did not change over the 3 years. The seropositivity of Gimpo-si showed a strong linear relationship with the API of 2005 (r=0.9983, P=0.036). Seropositivity data obtained using IFAT may be useful for understanding malaria prevalence of relevant years, predicting future transmission of malaria, and for establishing and evaluating malaria control programs in affected areas.
Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Humans ; Incidence ; Malaria, Vivax/*epidemiology ; Plasmodium vivax/*immunology ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to examine the pharmaco-dynamic pattern of proteomic expression in cervical carcinoma cells (CaSki cell line; HPV-16 positive) after in vitro treatment by the etoposide. METHODS: We analyzed proteomic profiling in cervical carcinoma cells after etoposide treatment using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) with MALDI-TOF-MS used for protein identification. Then, we tested the several experimental methods for verification and functional identification, including MTT assay, PI staining, DNA fragmentation assay, FDA, FACS and Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Etoposide inhibited the CaSki cervical cancer cell growth in a dose-dependent manner and the optimal concentration of etoposide is 2micrometer(IC50) in the CaSki cervical cancer cells. The etoposide induced apoptosis, as determined by DNA fragmentation assay, FACS, and Western blot. The etoposide increased the protein expression of Fas (Apo-1/CD95), p53, pRb and caspase-3, but decreased the level of Bcl-2 and caspase-3 precursor and subsequently triggered the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway (release of cytochrome c and activation of caspase-9). To this end, we analyzed CaSki cancer cells using 2-DE. Eight proteins (XAP-5, HXC-36, serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2B catalytic subunit, G2/mitotic-specific cyclin B1, T-box transcription factor TBX20, diacylglycerol kinase, amiloride-sensitive amine oxidase, HEF-like protein, ras-related protein Rab-20) were down-regulated and nine proteins (RNA 3'-terminal phosphate cyclase-like protein, late endosomal/lysosomal Mp1 interacting protein, glia maturation factor, replication protein A 14 kDa subunit, mago sashi protein homolog, 14 kDa phosphohistidine phosphatase, protein C14 or f48, cyclin-dependent kinase 4 inhibitior A, retinoic acid-binding protein II) were up-regulated in etoposide-treated CaSki cells when compared with non-treated cells. CONCLUSION: Our results clearly indicate that etoposide induced cell death by apoptosis. These findings may provide insights into the mechanisms underlying the apparent anti-tumoral effects of etoposide.
Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Calcineurin ; Caspase 3 ; Catalytic Domain ; Cell Death ; Cell Line ; Cyclin B1 ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4 ; Cytochromes c ; Diacylglycerol Kinase ; DNA Fragmentation ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Etoposide ; Glia Maturation Factor ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; Oxidoreductases ; Proteomics ; Replication Protein A ; Transcription Factors ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Recently, favorable outcomes have been reported after the endovascular treatment of either ruptured or unruptured paraclinoid aneurysms. The complications specifically related to the endovascular treatment of paraclinoid aneurysms have also been reported in other studies. Visual symptoms related to the mass effects associated with giant paraclinoid aneurysm normally improve after coil embolization. However, these symptoms have also been reported to be exacerbated in some cases. The authors here report an unusual case of progressive visual loss occurring after endovascular coiling treatment in a case of a large paraclinoid aneurysm.
Aneurysm* ; Embolization, Therapeutic

A case of primary adenosquamous carcinoma of the liver is reported. A large cystic mass with irregular enhancing wall was seen in the left lobe of the liver; multiple hepatic cysts and metastatic nodules were scattered in both lobes. Sonoguided needle biopsy was performed and on histopathology, adenosquamous carcinoma was diagnosed. The radiologic and pathologic relationships of this unusual neoplasm are discussed.
Biopsy, Needle ; Carcinoma, Adenosquamous* ; Liver*

Primary epiploic appendagitis of the colon is a rare cause of abdominal pain and is a self-limiting disease. Double contrast barium enema showed a smooth extrinsic compression located anterolateraly to the involved colon. Ultrasonography revealed a non-compressible echogenic ovoid mass attached to the colon wall. On abdominal CT, all lesions were seen as pedunculated ovel fatty masses with surrounding streaky densities connected to the serosal surface of the adjacent colon. Follow up CT performed 13-25(mean 18) days later showed that during this intrval, the volume of the mass and extent of surrounding infiltrations had decreased.
Abdominal Pain ; Barium ; Colon ; Enema ; Follow-Up Studies ; Omentum ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography