Epidemiological studies of monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) have been conducted in limited geographical regions. Little is known about the prevalence of MBL in Asia. We investigated the prevalence and immunophenotypic characteristics of MBL in Koreans who had idiopathic lymphocytosis (lymphocyte count >4.0×109/L) and were ≥40 years of age. A total of 105 leftover peripheral blood samples met these criteria among those from 73,727 healthy individuals who visited the Health Promotion Center, Samsung Medical Center, Korea, from June 2018 to August 2019. The samples were analyzed using eight-color flow cytometry with the following monoclonal antibodies: CD45, CD5, CD10, CD19, CD20, CD23, and kappa and lambda light chains. The overall prevalence of MBL in the study population was 2.9% (3/105); there was one case of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)-like MBL (CD5+CD23+), one case of atypical CLL-like MBL (CD5+CD23−), and one case of CD5−MBL with a lambda restriction pattern. This is the first study on the MBL prevalence in an East Asian population, and it reveals a relatively low prevalence of MBL in healthy Korean individuals with lymphocytosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to investigate whether stem cell therapy enhances β cell function by meta-analysis with proper consideration of variability of outcome measurements in controlled trial of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. METHODS: A systematic search was performed from inception to January 2018 in PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. β cell function was assessed by stimulated C-peptide, fasting C-peptide, normal glycosylated hemoglobin levels (HbA1C), and exogenous insulin dose patterns. The quality of the studies were assessed by both the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias (ROB) for Randomized controlled trials and the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) for non-randomized controlled trials. RESULTS: From the selected final 15 articles, total of 16 trials were analyzed. There were 6 T1DM trials (total 153 cases) and 10 T2DM trials (total 457 cases). In T2DM patients, the changes in stimulated C-peptide, HbA1c, and exogenous insulin dose versus baseline showed a favorable pattern with a significant heterogeneity in stem cell therapy. In T1DM, there was no significant difference between control group and stem cell therapy group in three indicators except for HbA1c. Most of the studies were rated as having high risk of bias in the quality assessment. CONCLUSIONS: The stem cell therapy for DM patients is not effective in T1DM but seems to be effective in improving the β cell function in T2DM. However the observed effect should be interpreted with caution due to the significant heterogeneity and high risk of bias within the studies. Further verification through a rigorously designed study is warranted.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; C-Peptide ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Fasting ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Humans ; Insulin ; Population Characteristics ; Stem Cells

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

Rhomboid family member 2 gene (Rhbdf2) is an inactive homologue lacking essential catalytic residues of rhomboid intramembrane serine proteases. The protein is necessary for maturation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) converting enzyme, which is the molecule responsible for the release of TNF-α. In this study, Rhbdf2 knockout (KO) mice were produced by CRISPR/CAS9. To see the effects of the failure of TNF-α release induced by Rhbdf2 gene KO, collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), which is the representative TNF-α related disease, was induced in the Rhbdf2 mutant mouse using chicken collagen type II. The severity of the CIA was measured by traditional clinical scores and histopathological analysis of hind limb joints. A rota-rod test and grip strength test were employed to evaluate the severity of CIA based on losses of physical functions. The results indicated that Rhbdf2 mutant mice showed clear alleviation of the clinical severity of CIA as demonstrated by the significantly lower severity indexes. Moreover, a grip strength test was shown to be useful for the evaluation of physical functional losses by CIA. Overall, the results showed that the Rhbdf2 gene has a significant effect on the induction of CIA, which is related to TNF-α.
Animals ; Arthritis, Experimental* ; Chickens ; Collagen Type II ; Extremities ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Joints ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout* ; Serine Proteases ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

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

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

Recommended infant vaccination in Korea includes DTaP-IPV and Hib vaccines administered as separate injections. In this randomized, open, controlled study we assessed the non-inferiority of immunogenicity of DTaP-IPV//Hib pentavalent combination vaccine (Pentaxim™) compared with licensed DTaP-IPV and Hib (PRP~T) vaccines. We enrolled 418 healthy Korean infants to receive either separate DTaP-IPV and Hib vaccines (n = 206) or the pentavalent DTaP-IPV//Hib (n = 208) vaccine at 2, 4, 6 months of age. Antibodies to all components were measured before the first vaccination and one month after the third, and safety was assessed after each vaccination including recording of reactions by parents. We confirmed the non-inferiority of DTaP-IPV//Hib compared with DTaP-IPV and Hib vaccines; 100% of both groups achieved seroprotection against D, T, IPV and PRP~T, and 97.5%-99.0% demonstrated seroresponses to pertussis antigens. Antibody levels were similar in both groups, except for those to the Hib component, PRP~T. In separate and combined groups geometric mean concentrations of anti-PRP~T antibodies were 23.9 and 11.0 µg/mL, respectively, but 98.3% and 97.4% had titers ≥ 1 µg/mL, indicative of long-term protection. All vaccines were well tolerated, with no vaccine-related serious adverse event. Both groups had similar safety profiles, but the combined vaccine group had fewer injection site reactions. The immunological non-inferiority and similar safety profile of DTaP-IPV//Hib vaccine to separate DTaP-IPV and Hib vaccines, with the advantage of fewer injections and injection site reactions, supports the licensure and incorporation of DTaP-IPV//Hib into the Korean national vaccination schedule (Clinical trial registry, NCT01214889).
Antibodies ; Appointments and Schedules ; Haemophilus influenzae type b* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Korea ; Licensure ; Parents ; Vaccination ; Vaccines* ; Whooping Cough

PURPOSE: This study described the post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and secondary varicella infection in children inadvertently exposed to varicella zoster virus (VZV) in the hospital. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from patients with VZV infection who were initially not properly isolated, as well as children exposed to VZV at the Seoul National University Children's Hospital between January 2010 and December 2015. The PEP measures were determined by the presence of immunity to VZV and immunocompromising conditions. Patient clinical information was reviewed via medical records. RESULTS: Among 147 children hospitalized between 2010 and 2015, 13 inadvertent exposures were notified due to VZV infection. Five index children had a history of VZV vaccination. Eighty-six children were exposed in multi-occupancy rooms and 62.8% (54/86) were immune to VZV. The PEP measures administered to 27 exposed patients included varicella zoster immunoglobulin and VZV vaccination. Four children developed secondary varicella, which was linked to a single index patient, including one child who did not receive PEP and three of the 27 children who received PEP. The rates of secondary varicella and prophylaxis failure were 4.7% (4/85) and 11.1% (3/27), respectively. The secondary varicella rates were 1.9% (1/54) and 9.7% (3/31) among immunocompetent and immunocompromised children, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed diagnosis of VZV infection can lead to unexpected exposure and place susceptible children and immunocompromised patients at risk for developing varicella. The appropriateness of the current PEP strategy based on VZV immunity may require re-evaluation.
Chickenpox* ; Child ; Child, Hospitalized* ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Herpes Zoster ; Herpesvirus 3, Human* ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Immunoglobulins ; Medical Records ; Post-Exposure Prophylaxis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Vaccination

A novel Helicobacter species was identified from the gastrointestinal tract of the Korean striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius). Biochemical testing, ultrastructure characterization, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis suggested that this bacterium represents a distinct taxon. The bacterium was positive for urease activity, susceptible to cephalothin and nalidixic acid, and weakly positive for oxidase and catalase activity. Electron microscopy revealed that the bacterium has spirally curved rod morphology with singular bipolar nonsheathed flagella. Genotypically, the isolated bacterial strains (YMRC 000215, YMRC 000216, and YMRC 000419) were most closely related to a reference strain of Helicobacter mesocricetorum (97.25%, 97.32%, and 97.03% 16S rRNA sequence similarities, respectively). The 16S rRNA sequences of these strains were deposited into GenBank under accession numbers AF284754, AY009129, and AY009130, respectively. We propose the name Helicobacter apodemus for this novel species.
Animals ; Catalase ; Cephalothin ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; Flagella ; Gastrointestinal Tract* ; Genes, rRNA ; Helicobacter* ; Korea* ; Mice* ; Microscopy, Electron ; Murinae* ; Nalidixic Acid ; Oxidoreductases ; Sequence Analysis ; Urease

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of the implementation of critical pathway (CP) in stroke patients treated at a single university hospital. METHODS: A retrospective medical review collected data from 497 patients who had suffered acute stroke in the rehabilitation center. Stroke outcomes were compared between before and after the implementation of CP based on factors including demographic factors, stroke characteristics, pre-existing medical conditions, medical complications, functional states, and length of stay (LOS). RESULTS: After the implementation of CP, the patients showed significantly higher stage for upper proximal (p=0.008) and lower extremity (p=0.001) on Brunnstrom stage and significantly lower scores for modified Rankin Scale (p=0.003) at transfer. For those with pre-existing medical conditions, there were significantly increased osteoarthritis (p=0.002) and valvular heart disease (p=0.011). Regarding medical complications during acute inpatient rehabilitation, there were significantly decreased shoulder pain (p=0.001) and dysphagia (p=0.017), and significantly increased gastrointestinal symptoms (p=0.001). Functional gain and efficiency of stroke patients during rehabilitation center hospitalization did not significantly change after implementation of CP. But, shorter LOS of total hospitalization, pre-rehabilitation center hospitalization, and rehabilitation center hospitalization were evident. CONCLUSION: After the implementation of CP, patients less often developed complications and displayed no changes in functional gain and efficiency. They had shorter LOS of total hospitalization, pre-rehabilitation center hospitalization and rehabilitation center hospitalization.
Critical Pathways* ; Deglutition Disorders ; Demography ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Length of Stay ; Lower Extremity ; Osteoarthritis ; Rehabilitation ; Rehabilitation Centers ; Retrospective Studies* ; Shoulder Pain ; Stroke*