Background: Immunocompromised (IC) pediatric patients are at increased risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, but the viral kinetics and seroimmunologic response in pediatric IC patients are not fully understood. Methods: From April to June 2022, a prospective cohort study was conducted. IC pediatric patients hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were enrolled. Serial saliva swab and serum specimens were subjected to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays with mutation sequencing, viral culture, anti-spike-protein, anti-nucleocapsid antibody assays, plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) and multiplex cytokine assays. Results: Eleven IC children were evaluated. Their COVID-19 symptoms resolved promptly (median, 2.5 days; interquartile range, 2.0–4.3). Saliva swab specimens contained lower viral loads than nasopharyngeal swabs (P = 0.008). All cases were BA.2 infection, and 45.5% tested negative within 14 days by saliva swab from symptom onset. Eight (72.7%) showed a time-dependent increase in BA.2 PRNT titers, followed by rapid waning. Multiplex cytokine assays revealed that monocyte/macrophage activation and Th 1 responses were comparable to those of non-IC adults. Activation of interleukin (IL)-1Ra and IL-6 was brief, and IL-17A was suppressed. Activated interferon (IFN)-γ and IL-18/IL-1F4 signals were observed. Conclusion IC pediatric patients rapidly recovered from COVID-19 with low viral loads.Antibody response was limited, but cytokine analysis suggested an enhanced IFN-γ- and IL-18-mediated immune response without excessive activation of inflammatory cascades. To validate our observation, immune cell-based functional studies need to be conducted among IC and non-IC children.

Background: Immunocompromised (IC) pediatric patients are at increased risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, but the viral kinetics and seroimmunologic response in pediatric IC patients are not fully understood. Methods: From April to June 2022, a prospective cohort study was conducted. IC pediatric patients hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were enrolled. Serial saliva swab and serum specimens were subjected to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays with mutation sequencing, viral culture, anti-spike-protein, anti-nucleocapsid antibody assays, plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) and multiplex cytokine assays. Results: Eleven IC children were evaluated. Their COVID-19 symptoms resolved promptly (median, 2.5 days; interquartile range, 2.0–4.3). Saliva swab specimens contained lower viral loads than nasopharyngeal swabs (P = 0.008). All cases were BA.2 infection, and 45.5% tested negative within 14 days by saliva swab from symptom onset. Eight (72.7%) showed a time-dependent increase in BA.2 PRNT titers, followed by rapid waning. Multiplex cytokine assays revealed that monocyte/macrophage activation and Th 1 responses were comparable to those of non-IC adults. Activation of interleukin (IL)-1Ra and IL-6 was brief, and IL-17A was suppressed. Activated interferon (IFN)-γ and IL-18/IL-1F4 signals were observed. Conclusion IC pediatric patients rapidly recovered from COVID-19 with low viral loads.Antibody response was limited, but cytokine analysis suggested an enhanced IFN-γ- and IL-18-mediated immune response without excessive activation of inflammatory cascades. To validate our observation, immune cell-based functional studies need to be conducted among IC and non-IC children.

Background: Immunocompromised (IC) pediatric patients are at increased risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, but the viral kinetics and seroimmunologic response in pediatric IC patients are not fully understood. Methods: From April to June 2022, a prospective cohort study was conducted. IC pediatric patients hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were enrolled. Serial saliva swab and serum specimens were subjected to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays with mutation sequencing, viral culture, anti-spike-protein, anti-nucleocapsid antibody assays, plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) and multiplex cytokine assays. Results: Eleven IC children were evaluated. Their COVID-19 symptoms resolved promptly (median, 2.5 days; interquartile range, 2.0–4.3). Saliva swab specimens contained lower viral loads than nasopharyngeal swabs (P = 0.008). All cases were BA.2 infection, and 45.5% tested negative within 14 days by saliva swab from symptom onset. Eight (72.7%) showed a time-dependent increase in BA.2 PRNT titers, followed by rapid waning. Multiplex cytokine assays revealed that monocyte/macrophage activation and Th 1 responses were comparable to those of non-IC adults. Activation of interleukin (IL)-1Ra and IL-6 was brief, and IL-17A was suppressed. Activated interferon (IFN)-γ and IL-18/IL-1F4 signals were observed. Conclusion IC pediatric patients rapidly recovered from COVID-19 with low viral loads.Antibody response was limited, but cytokine analysis suggested an enhanced IFN-γ- and IL-18-mediated immune response without excessive activation of inflammatory cascades. To validate our observation, immune cell-based functional studies need to be conducted among IC and non-IC children.

Background: Immunocompromised (IC) pediatric patients are at increased risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, but the viral kinetics and seroimmunologic response in pediatric IC patients are not fully understood. Methods: From April to June 2022, a prospective cohort study was conducted. IC pediatric patients hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were enrolled. Serial saliva swab and serum specimens were subjected to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays with mutation sequencing, viral culture, anti-spike-protein, anti-nucleocapsid antibody assays, plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) and multiplex cytokine assays. Results: Eleven IC children were evaluated. Their COVID-19 symptoms resolved promptly (median, 2.5 days; interquartile range, 2.0–4.3). Saliva swab specimens contained lower viral loads than nasopharyngeal swabs (P = 0.008). All cases were BA.2 infection, and 45.5% tested negative within 14 days by saliva swab from symptom onset. Eight (72.7%) showed a time-dependent increase in BA.2 PRNT titers, followed by rapid waning. Multiplex cytokine assays revealed that monocyte/macrophage activation and Th 1 responses were comparable to those of non-IC adults. Activation of interleukin (IL)-1Ra and IL-6 was brief, and IL-17A was suppressed. Activated interferon (IFN)-γ and IL-18/IL-1F4 signals were observed. Conclusion IC pediatric patients rapidly recovered from COVID-19 with low viral loads.Antibody response was limited, but cytokine analysis suggested an enhanced IFN-γ- and IL-18-mediated immune response without excessive activation of inflammatory cascades. To validate our observation, immune cell-based functional studies need to be conducted among IC and non-IC children.

Objective: To identify, for the first time, the prevalence and impact of Boosepivirus (BooV) on calf diarrhea in the ROK. Methods: Here, the unknown cause of calf diarrhea was determined using metagenomics We then explored the prevalence of certain pathogens, including BooV, that cause NCD. Seventy diarrheal fecal samples from Hanwoo (Bos taurus coreanae) calves were analyzed using reverse transcriptase and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for pathogen detection and BooV isolate sequencing. Results: The complete genome of BooV was detected from unknown causes of calf diarrhea.And also, BooV was the most frequently detected pathogen (35.7%) among 8 pathogens in 70 diarrheic feces from Hanwoo calves. Co-infection analyses indicated that most BooV-positive samples were solely infected with BooV, indicating its significance in NCD in the ROK. All isolates were classified as BooV B in phylogenetic analysis. Conclusions and Relevance: This is the first study to determine the prevalence and molecular characteristics of BooV in calf diarrhea in the ROK, highlighting the potential importance of BooV as a causative agent of calf diarrhea and highlighting the need for further research on its epidemiology and pathogenicity.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a zoonotic, tick-borne RNA virus of the genus Bandavirus (Family Phenuiviridae), mainly reported in China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (Korea). For the purpose of this study, a total of 3,898 adult and nymphal ticks of species Haemaphysalis longicornis (94.2%), Haemaphysalis flava (5.0%), Ixodes nipponensis (0.8%), and 1 specimen of Ixodes ovatus, were collected from the Deogyusan National Park, Korea, between April 2016 and June 2018. A single-step reverse transcriptase–nested PCR was performed, targeting the S segment of the SFTSV RNA. Total infection rate (IR) of SFTSV in individual ticks was found to be 6.0%. Based on developmental stages, IR was 5.3% in adults and 6.0% in nymphs. The S segment sequences obtained from PCR were divided into 17 haplotypes. All haplotypes were phylogenetically clustered into clades B-2 and B-3, with 92.7% sequences in B-2 and 7.3% in B-3. These observations indicate that the Korean SFTSV strains were closer to the Japanese than the Chinese strains. Further epidemiological studies are necessary to better understand the characteristics of the Korean SFTSV and its transmission cycle in the ecosystem.

Background/Aims: Endoscopic channels are difficult to clean and can cause infection transmission. We examined the effectiveness of a newly developed channel-cleaning ball brush (BB), which is sucked into the endoscopic channel and scrapes and cleans the lumen as it passes through. Methods: The upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopes used for patient examinations were randomly selected as the conventional brush (CB) or BB group. After manual cleaning, the presence or absence of carbohydrates, proteins, adenosine triphosphate, and hemoglobin was assessed. Results: Fifty-six and 58 endoscopes were cleaned with the CB and BB, respectively. Carbohydrate and protein were detected in one (1.8%) and two endoscopes (3.4%) in the CB and BB groups, respectively (p=1.000). Hemoglobin was observed in one (1.8%) and three endoscopes (5.2%) in the CB and BB groups, respectively (p=0.636). The adenosine triphosphate levels were 10.6±15.9 and 12.5±14.3 relative light units in the CB and BB groups, respectively (p=0.496). Twenty-seven (48.2%) and 19 (32.8%) endoscopes were positive for microbial cultures in the CB and BB groups, respectively (p=0.136). Conclusions The efficacy of BB was not significantly different from that of CB in the endoscopic channel-cleaning process.

Background/Aims: Although the diarrheal disease caused by Campylobacter bacteria has been continuously increasing in Korea, there has been limited study on the clinical aspects of Campylobacter enteritis in adults in Korea. The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical features and characteristics of adult patients with Campylobacter enteritis. Methods: This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with Campylobacter enterocolitis at Nowon Eulji University Hopsital between January 2016 and December 2017. Campylobacter enterocolitis was diagnosed through polymerase chain reaction of stools from patients with acute diarrhea. Results: Among 630 hospitalized patients with acute diarrhea, Campylobacter enterocolitis was diagnosed in 88 patients (14.0%). The mean age was 37.9±19.1 years. Campylobacter enterocolitis was most prevalent in the summer (52 patients, 59.1%). Patients exhibited more than 10 times of diarrhea in 36 (40.9%), high fever above 39℃ in 19 (21.59%), and abdominal pain above 5 points on the numeric rating scale in 23 (26.14%) cases. In abdominal CT scan, pancolitis was found in 58 patients (65.9%). Small intestine was involved in 37 patients (42.4%). Mean CRP was 10.14 mg/dL (range 0.72-32.27 mg/dL). The duration of diarrhea after antibiotics treatment was 2.34±1.51 days in the ciprofloxacin treatment group and 2.26±1.71 days in the 3rd cephalosporin treatment group. Conclusions Campylobacter enterocolitis was common during summer. Commonly healthy young adults were hospitalized due to severe symptoms of Campylobacter enterocolitis. Whole colon and small bowel were frequently involved. Most patients were treated with antibiotics, and the efficacy of 3rd cephalosporin treatment was not inferior to that of ciprofloxacin treatment.

This study aimed to investigate the tick species and give background for tick-borne investigations in Korea. Ticks were collected from the area within 2 km radius of the 4 domestic animal farms, where they were located in mountainous areas and raising animals on pasture, and from animal bodies in 2014 and 2015. In total, 7,973 nymphal and adult ticks were collected from the farms
Adult ; Agriculture ; Animals ; Animals, Domestic ; Cattle ; Ecosystem ; Goats ; Humans ; Ixodes ; Korea ; Radius ; Sus scrofa ; Ticks

PURPOSE: Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents have been used for the last 10 years, but their safety profile, including cytotoxicity against various ocular cells such as retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, remains a serious concern. Safety studies of VEGF agents conducted to date have primarily relied on healthy RPE cells. In this study, we assessed the safety of three anti-VEGF agents, namely, ranibizumab, bevacizumab, and aflibercept, on senescent RPE cells. METHODS: Senescent human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived RPE cells were generated by continuous replication and confirmed with senescence biomarkers. The viability, proliferation, protein expression, and phagocytosis of the senescent RPE cells were characterized 3 days after anti-VEGF treatment with clinical doses of ranibizumab, bevacizumab, or aflibercept. RESULTS: Clinical doses of ranibizumab, bevacizumab, or aflibercept did not decrease the viability or alter proliferation of senescent RPE cells. In addition, the anti-VEGF agents did not induce additional senescence, impair the protein expression of zonula occludens-1 and RPE65, or reduce the phagocytosis capacity of senescent RPE cells. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical dosages of ranibizumab, bevacizumab, or aflibercept do not induce significant cytotoxicity in senescent RPE cells.
Aging ; Bevacizumab* ; Biomarkers ; Endothelial Growth Factors ; Epithelial Cells* ; Humans ; Phagocytosis ; Ranibizumab* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A