Erratum: Antimicrobial Effects of Oleanolic Acid, Ursolic Acid, and Sophoraflavanone G against Enterococcus faecalis and Propionibacterium acnes

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Antimicrobial Effects of Oleanolic Acid, Ursolic Acid, and Sophoraflavanone G against Enterococcus faecalis and Propionibacterium acnes

The aim of this study was to investigate antimicrobial effect of oleanolic acid (OA), ursolic acid (UA), and sophoraflavanone G against Enterococcus faecalis and Propionibacterium acnes, which are the major causative bacteria of endodontic infections. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). The data showed that the OA, UA, and sophoraflavanone G had antimicrobial effect on all the strains use in the study with 16-64 microg/ml, 8-64 microg/ml, and 1-8 microg/ml of MIC values, respectively. These results indicate that OA, UA, and sophoraflavanone G could be useful in the development of antiseptic solution for washing the root canal in endodontic treatments.

Identification and Antibiotic Susceptibility of the Bacteria from Non-odontogenic Infectious Lesions

The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify bacteria from the 4 patients with non-odontogenic infectious lesions (mucormycosis, chronic inflammation from wound infection, and two actinomycosis) and determine their antimicrobial susceptibility against eight antibiotics. Bacterial culture was performed under three culture conditions (anaerobic, CO2, and aerobic incubator). The bacterial strains were identified by 16S rRNA gene (16S rDNA) sequence comparison analysis method. For investigating the antimicrobial susceptibility of the bacteria against eight antibiotics, penicillin G, amoxicillin, tetracycline, cefuroxime, erythromycin, clindamycin, vancomycin, and Augmentin(R) (amoxicillin + clavulanic acid), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) measurement was performed using broth microdilution assay. Nosocomial pathogens such as Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis, and Neisseria flavescens were isolated from mucormycosis. Veillonella parvula, Enterobacter hormaechei, and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus were isolated from chronic inflammatory lesion. Actinomyces massiliensis was isolated from actinomycosis in parotid gland. Capnocytophaga ochracea was isolated from actinomycosis in buccal region in anaerobic condition. There was no susceptible antibiotic to all bacteria in mucormycosis. Tetracycline was susceptible to all bacteria in chronic inflammation. C. ochracea was resistant to vancomycin and penicillin G; and other antibiotics showed susceptibility to all bacteria in actinomycosis. The results indicated that the combined treatment of two or more antibiotics is better than single antibiotic treatment in mucormycosis, and penicillin is the first recommended antibiotic to treat actinomycosis.

Detection of Prevotella intermedia and Prevotella nigrescens using Pn17 and Pn34 DNA Probes

The DNA probes Pn17 and Pn34 were evaluated for their ability to specifically detect clinical strains of P. intermedia and P. nigrescens from a Korean population by dot blot hybridization. These probes were sequenced by extension termination and their specificity was determined by Southern blot analysis. The results revealed that the Pn17 sequence (2,517 bp) partially encodes an RNA polymerase beta subunit (rpoB) and that Pn34 (1,918 bp) partially encodes both rpoB (1-169 nts) and the RNA polymerase beta subunit (rpoB'; 695-1918 nts). These probes hybridized with both HindIII- and PstI-digested genomic DNAs from the strains of P. intermedia and P. nigrescens used in this study. Interestingly, each of the hybrid bands generated from the HindIII-digested genomic DNAs of the two bacterial species could be used to distinguish between them via restriction fragment length polymorphism. These results thus indicate that Pn17 and Pn34 can simultaneously detect P. intermedia and P. nigrescens.

Non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis by measuring the liver stiffness and biochemical markers in chronic hepatitis B patients / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: Transient elastography (FibroScan(R)) is a rapid and non-invasive method to measure liver stiffness and this allow the assessment of liver fibrosis. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of measuring the liver stiffness in addition to measuring the other biochemical markers such as the aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index [APRI] and the AST/ALT ratio. METHODS: We enrolled 228 HBsAg positive patients whose liver stiffness was measured by FibroScan(R) between March 2005 and September 2005. Liver biopsy examinations were performed in 34 patients. The fibrosis (F) was staged on a 0-4 scale according to the Ludwig classification. RESULTS: According to the clinical diagnosis, the median values of liver stiffness were 7.0+/-2.7 kPa for inactive carriers (n=29), 8.3+/-5.3 kPa for chronic hepatitis patients (n=106), 15.9+/-8.3 kPa for compensated cirrhosis patients (n=63), 31.8+/-20.3 kPa for decompensated cirrhosis patients (n=26), and 45.1+/-34.5 kPa for HCC patients (n=4). The degree of liver stiffness was significantly different between the different disease groups (p or =2; 0.92, 0.73, and 0.56, respectively, for F> or =3; and 0.97, 0.79, and 0.55, respectively, for F=4. FibroScan(R) offered the best diagnostic performance both for significant fibrosis (F> or =2) and severe fibrosis-cirrhosis (F3-F4). CONCLUSIONS: FibroScan(R) is a reliable, rapid non-invasive method to diagnose the severity of chronic liver disease and to predict fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B, in addition to using the APRI and AST/ALT ratio.

Detection of methicillin or vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from dental hospital / 대한치과보존학회지

The purpose of this study was to obtain the basic information for the improvement of dental environment by investigating the presence of methicillin- or vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA or VRSA) isolated from dental health care workers (DHCWs) and environment of the Chosun University Dental Hospital (CUDH) and a private dental clinic (control group). Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was isolated from anterior nares of 42 DHCWs and 38 sites, unit chairs, x-ray devices, computers, etc., at 10 departments of the CUDH and 20 DHCWs and 11 sites at the private dental clinic. S. aureus was isolated on mannitol salt agar plate and confirmed by PCR with S. aureus species-specific primer. Antimicrobial susceptibility test of clinical isolates of S. aureus against several antibiotics including methicillin (oxacillin) was performed by investigating minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using broth microdilution assay. In addition, PCR was performed to detect the methicillin- or vancomycin-resistant gene. The data showed that one strain of S. aureus was isolated from DHCWs of the CUDH and three strains of S. aureus was isolated from 3 samples of the private dental clinic, respectively. All of the isolates from the CUDH and the private dental clinic had resistance to penicillin G, amoxicillin and vancomycin and susceptibility to oxacillin and ciprofloxacin. The S. aureus strains were already obtained the resistance to penicillin G and amoxicillin. These results suggest that two dental clinics were under relatively safe environment.

Antimicrobial effect of cefixime on 6 species of periodotopathogens / 대한치주과학회지

The aim of this study was to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC) of cefi- xime, which is a 3rd generation of cefalosporin, against 6 species of putative periodon- topathogens; Fusobacterium nucleatum, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella inter- media, Prevotella nigrescens, Tannerella forsythia and Porphyromonas gingivalis. The efficacy of cefixime was examined by comparing it with that of several antibiotics(amoxicillin, Aug- mentin(R) ciprofloxacin, metronidazole, and tetracycline), which were used as the control. The MIC was measured using a microdilution method. The MIC of cefixime against the putative periodotopathogens, as a single use regimen, was relatively lower than that of the other antibiotics. The MIC of cefixime/metronidazole against P. intermedia ChDC KB14, P. nigres- cens ChDC KB50, F. nucleatum ChDC PV-F37, F. nucleatum ChDC F130, and F. nucleatum ChDC F175, as a simultaneous regimen, was lower than that of the other antibiotics. The concentration of cefixime in the crevicular fluid of volunteers who received 250mg every 12 hours for 3 days was 9microgram/ml after 9 hours. In conclusion, cefixime showed good anti- microbial activity in a single treatment or as a combined therapy with amoxicillin, Aug- mentin(R) or metronidazole against 6 periodontopathogens.

Identification of Mutans Streptococci isolated from dental plaque between the bracket and tooth surface in orthodontic patients / 대한치과교정학회지

The aim of this study was to compare the species and biotypes of mutans streptococci isolated from dental plaques sampled from the interfaces between the bracket and tooth surface and smooth tooth surfaces in orthodontic patients. Dental plaque was collected from the interfaces between brackets and teeth (test group), and from smooth tooth surfaces distant from brackets by more than 2 mm (control group). The dental plaque collected by a sterilized curette was transferred into a vial of 1 X PBS. The sample in the vial was vigorously vortexed for 1 min and plated on mitis-salivarius bacitracin (MSB) agar plate using cotton tips. The agar plates were incubated at 37 degrees C in a candle jar for 2 days, and again incubated for 1 more day at anambient temperature. Individual colonies were cultured in TH broth at 37 degrees C CO2 incubator. The PCR-RFLP based on dextranase gene was performed for the identification of mutans streptococci at the species-level. For biotyping of mutans streptococci, biochemical tests were performed. There was no significant difference of the species of mutans streptococci isolated from both test and control groups. However, the biotypes of the mutans streptococci isolated from test and control groups were different. These results may offer the basic data to verify the relationship between the mutans streptococci biotype and enamel decalcification or dental caries in orthodontic patients with fixed appliances.

Deep Venous Thrombosis and Heterotopic Ossification in the Patients with Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence, time of onset, and risk factors of deep vein thrombosis asssociated with heterotopic ossification in patients with spinal cord injury. METHOD: The medical records of 201 patients with spinal cord injury were reviewed. Duplex ultrasound and/or venography were used for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis and 3 phase bone scan and/or plain radiologic studies were used for the diagnosis of heterotopic ossification. RESULTS: Whereas the incidence of heterotopic ossification and deep vein thrombosis in this population were 10.0% and 4.5%, respectively, 55.5% of the individuals with deep vein thrombosis developed heterotopic ossification. The overall incidence of coexistence of deep vein thrombosis and heterotopic ossification was 2.5%. The significant difference between the occurrence of heterotopic ossification and deep vein thrombosis in this SCI population reached statistical significance (Fisher's exact test p<0.005). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that there exists an association between the occurrence of deep vein thrombosis and heterotopic ossification following SCI.

Effect of Leaf-Extract from Camellia sinensis and Seed-Extract from Casia tora on Viability of Mutans Streptococci isolated from the interface between orthodontic brackets and tooth surfaces / 대한치과교정학회지

Mutans streptococci is the major causative factor in dental caries. Especially, orthodontic patients with fixed appliance are a risk group for dental caries. Because fixed appliances attached on teeth may change the environment of dental plaque, the enamel decalcification or dental caries around the bracket and band is a major side effect of orthodontic treatment. The aim of this study was to search plant extracts that have antimicrobial effect on mutans streptococci. Seed-extract of Casia tora were prepared with ethanol and CHMC-2032, the leaf-extracts from Camellia sinensis extract, was obtained extract, 2 type strains and 20 clinical isolates of mutans streptococci isolated from the interface between orthodontic brackets and tooth surfaces in the orthodontic patients were used in this study. The minimal inhibitory concentration of CHMC-2032 was 5 mg/ml on the S. mutans KCTC 3065, S. sobrinus KCTC 3088, and 8 clinical isolates of S. sobrinus. However, there was no antibacterial effect of seed-extract of C. tora on mutans streptococci. These data suggest that green tea may be more effective than the tea prepared from C. tora in the prevention of enamel decalcification or dental caries around brackets.

Molecular identification of bacteria from osteomyelitis of the jaws

The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify the bacteria in osteomyelitis lesion of 3 patients. Two lesions were due to the postinfection after extraction. The other was resulted from mal-fixation of both sides of mandibular angles. Pus samples were collected by needle aspiration from the lesion and examined by culture method. Bacterial culture was performed in three culture systems (anaer-obic, CO2, and aerobic incubator). Identification of the bacteria was performed by 16S rRNA gene cloning and nucleotide sequencing method. Our results showed that Streptococci species was predominantly isolated in both lesions of extraction socket. Only one species (Proteus vulagris) was detected in lesion of mandibular angle. This study was not sufficient to identify the causative bacteria in those osteomyelitis. However, our data may be offered the clue to solve the problem.

GCF concentration and minimal inhibitory concentration of cefuroxime axetil against periodontopathogens / 대한치주과학회지

The purpose of this study was to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of cefuroxime axetil, semisynthetic cefalosporin, for some putative periodotopathogens; F. nucleatum, A. actinomycetemcomitans P. intermedia and P. gingivalis. To investigate the efficacy of cefuroxime axetil, several antibiotics, amoxicillin, metronidazole, and ciprofoxacine, were used as control. The MIC was measured by Murray's method. The MIC of cefuroxime axetil against some putative microbes, as a single use regimen, was relatively high in comparison with that of the other antibiotics used in this study. The MIC of cefuroxime axetil/metronidazole against some putative microbes, as a simultaneous regimen, was similar to that of the other antibiotics used in this study. The manimal level of cefuroxime concentration in gingival fluid was 9 microgram/ml at 36hr after the first dose. In conclusion, within the limited experiment, metronidazole/ cefuroxime axetil therapy of periodontitis may provide a therapeutic benefits in reducing the periodontopathogens.

Isolation of Fusobacterium nucleatum from subgingival plaque in Korean / 대한치주과학회지

The purpose of this study was to isolate and characterize the Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) from subgingival plaque in Korean periodontitis patients. The subgingival plaque samples of periodontitis patient were collected with sterilized paper point. The paper point was put into reduced transfer medium and then immediately transferred to laboratory. The subgingival samples were diluted by 10,000 folds and plated on F. nucleatum-selective media agar plate. The plates were incubated at 37degrees C in an anaerobic chamber for 3 days. The violet-colored colonies were selected and subjected to further verification whether those are F. nucleatum or not. For further confirmation, 16S rRNA genes (rDNA) were cloned from each of bacterial clones and determined sequence of 16S rDNA. In this study, we found 17 distinct clinical isolates of F. nucleatum from subgingival plaque. The clinical isolates will be a useful in various studies in periodontology.

Comparison of the prevalence of 4 periodontopathogens in supra- and subgingival plaque of young adults without periodontitis / 대한치주과학회지

The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the frequence of 4 periodontal pathogens in the supra- and subgingival plaque in periodontally healthy subjects. Twenty adult individuals aged 22 to 28 years (mean age 23.65 years) participated in this study. All subjects had no pocket sites more than 3 mm deep, and the sites selected for sampling were all negative for bleeding. After drying and isolation of the sites with cotton rolls, supragingival plaque was sampled using sterile periodontal curette. Each plaque sample was placed in individual tubes containing 500 ml of 1X PBS. After removal of the supragingival sample and any remaining supragingival plaque, subgingival plaque samples were taken from the same sites using sterile curette and placed in similar individual tubes. Identification of 4 putative periodontal pathogens from the samples was performed by polymerase chain reaction based on 16S rDNA. Chi-square test was employed to identify significant explanatory variables for the presence of the 4 periodontal pathogens. The data show that Actinobacillus actinmycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Bacteroides forsythus, and Fusobacterium nucleatum occurred in 16.9%, 14.4%, 52.5%, and 80.6%, respectively. No significant differences were noted in the periodontal pathogens between supra- and subgingival plaques according to the kind of teeth. However, the incisors were at higher risk for harboring F. nucleatum (p <0.05). Conclusion: These results reveal that anaerobic periodontal pathogens can be detected in supragingival plaques. Supragingival plaque may function as a reservoir of periodotopathogens.

A case of pan-dysautonomia associated with systemic lupus erythematosus / 대한내과학회지

Autonomic neuropathy can occur as a neurologic manifestation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Its precise prevalence and pathogenesis were not fully evaluated. Recent studies reported that about half of patients with SLE had autonomic neuropathy. Autonomic neuropathies include cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, sudomotor, lacrimal, and pupillary dysfunction. Autonomic nerve dysfunction significantly affects clinical course of the disease, and especially cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction may cause arrhythmias increasing the risk of sudden death. Pan-dysautonomia has been rarely reported as a neurologic complication of SLE. We experienced a patient with SLE presenting pan-dysautonomic manifestations. A 23-year-old man was admitted due to dizziness and syncopal attack. He complained various autonomic symptoms, such as orthostatic syncope, dysphagia, severe constipation, indigestion, and anhidrosis. Autonomic nerve function tests and the clinical manifestations revealed that he had pan-autonomic dysfunction. During hospitalization, respiratory and cardiac arrest developed soon after syncopal attack. He recovered after prompt cardiopulmonary resuscitation. But his autonomic dysfunctions improved slightly after 7 months of therapy. Early detection and aggressive treatment are needed to prevent potentially fatal dysautonomic attack in patient with SLE.