Nucleoprotein vaccine induces cross-protective cytotoxic T lymphocytes against both lineages of influenza B virus

PURPOSE: The influenza B virus diverges into two antigenically distinct lineages: B/Yamagata and B/Victoria. Influenza B is the dominant circulating virus during some influenza seasons, and recent data demonstrated that influenza A and B infection similarly cause severe clinical symptoms in hospitalized patients. Nucleoprotein (NP) is a good target for a universal influenza vaccine. This study investigated whether NP epitope variation within two lineages affects the dominant cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses induced by vaccination and the resultant protective immunity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The NP of B/Yamagata/16/1988, the representative strain of the Yamagata lineage, includes a dominant CTL epitope, FSPIRITFL, while B/Shangdong/7/1997 from the Victoria lineage has one amino acid difference in this sequence, FSPIRVTFL. Two recombinant replication-deficient adenovirus (rAd)-vectored vaccines expressing either NP were prepared (rAd/B-NP(I) and rAd/B-NP(V), respectively) and administered to BALB/c mice intranasally. To examine the efficacy of vaccination, antibody responses, CTL responses, and morbidity/mortality after challenge were measured. RESULTS: Both vaccines induce similar antibody and CD8 T-cell responses cross-reacting to both epitopes, and also confer cross-protection against both lineages regardless of amino acid difference. CONCLUSION: The rAd-vectored vaccine expressing the NP could be developed as universal influenza B vaccine which provides broader protection.

Challenges in the development of T-cell–based universal influenza vaccines

No abstract available.

Annual Report on External Quality Assessment in Clinical Microbiology Laboratory in Korea (2002) / 임상검사와정도관리

Three trials of external quality assessment for clinical microbiology laboratory were performed in 2002. A total of 19 specimens were distributed. Five specimens were distributed to 241 laboratories with 222 returns in Trial I, seven specimens to 241 laboratories with 232 returns in Trial II, and seven specimens to 245 laboratories with 220 returns in Trial III. The percentages of fully correct results of Plasmodium falciparum, P. malariae, P. vivax, gram-positive rods, group 5, S. aureus, E. faecium, Leuconostoc spp. Aeromonas hydrophila, Alternaria spp. S. aureus, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, E. faecalis, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, and K. pneumoniae were 38%, 66%, 68%, 85%, 68%, 94%, 76%, 51%, 86%, 76%, 100%, 99%, 93%, 79%, 86%, 95% and 96%, respectively. The acceptable percentages on disk-diffusion antibacterial susceptibility tests against oxacillin and vancomycin of S. aureus (M0206) were 99% and 94%, respectively. Those against vancomycin and teicoplanin of E. faecium (M0208) were 99% and 94%, respectively. Those against vancomycin, oxacillin, penicillin G, clindamycin, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin and teicoplanin of S. aureus (M0213) were 87%, 95%, 93%, 93%, 93%, 82%, 92%, 99%, and 95%, respectively. The acceptable percentages on disk diffusion test against ciprofloxacin, imipenem, ampicillin, cefotaxime, and cephalothin of E. coli (M0214) were 98%, 100%, 98%, 96%, and 87%, respectively. Those against ciprofloxacin, imipenem, ampicillin, cefotaxime, and cephalothin of K. pneumoniae (M0215) were 96%, 100%, 98%, 93% and 99%, respectively. Those against vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, penicillin G, erythromycin, and teicoplanin of E. faecalis (M0216) were 91%, 85%, 94%, 87%, 97%, and 100%, respectively. Those against ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, imipenem, ceftazidime, and piperacillin of P. aeruginosa (M0217) were 89%, 99%, 100%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. Those against amikacin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, imipenem, ampicillin, cefotaxime, and cephalothin of E. coli (M0218) were 98%, 98%, 98%, 100%, 98%, 100% and 90%, respectively. Those against amikacin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, imipenem, ampicillin, cefotaxime, and cephalothin of K. pneumoniae (M0219) were 97%, 97%, 98%, 100%, 99%, 99% and 99%, respectively. Twenty laboratories on Trial III had reported the both results of disk diffusion and MIC methods. The performance on the automated or E-test susceptibility tests was generally good, except in case of teicoplanin, showing the lower MIC in 63% of 51 participants. The susceptibility against teicoplanin should be confirmed by disk diffusion method in case of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus in the laboratories using automated MIC methods. In conclusion, it is necessary that the quality assurance of the individual laboratories should be improved in the identification of malaria and Enterococcus spp., and in susceptibility tests against vancomycin, erythromycin and ciprofloxacin of S. aureus, and cephalothin of E. coli in case of disk diffusion method, and teicoplanin of Enterococcus in the laboratories using automated MIC methods.

Metronidazole Resistance and the Eradication of Helicobacter pylori / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The success of Helicobacter pylori eradication is limited by antibiotic resistances, and the primary resistance to metranidazole seems to be high. In this study, the frequency af metronidazole resistance and the eradication rate in metronidazole-resistant H. pylori strain was evaluated. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients were tested for metronidazole resistance using microdilution broth, the E test and disk diffusion method. Twenty-two patients were treated for 14 days with amoxicilline 2000 mg, metronidazole 750 mg, and tripotassium dicitrate bismuth 1200 mg. RESULTS: Metronida-zole resistance was 46% (31/68). The eradication rates for H. pylori was 91.7% in patients with metronidazole-sensistive strains and 70% in patients with metronidazole-resistant strains. CONCLUSIONS: Metronidazole resistance was high (46%) in Korea, however, triple therapy was an efficient method of eradicating H. pylori in both metronidazole sensitive and resistant strains.

Production of Monoclonal Antibody to Chlamydia Pneumoniae / 감염

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia pneumoniae is a recently recognized species consisting of the strains commonly referred to as TWAR. These strains are associated with acute respiratory infections in humans, especially atypical pneumonia. So we tried to make a monoclonal antibody to Chlamydia pneumoniae. METHODS: C. pneumoniae were adapted to grow in HeLa-229 cells. The organisms were harvested and purified in a linear gradient of renograffin. BALB/c mice (female, 10weeks) were intravenously immunized with purified C. pneumoniae(TW-183).The spleen cells and SP 2/0 myeloma cells were fused with 40% polyethylene glycol (Mol.Wt.:1,450). Antibodies against C. pneumoniae were screened by an enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The proteins of purified chlamydial elementary bodies were separated by discontinuous sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and Western blots were performed with these monoclonal antibodies. RESULTS: Two monoclonal antibodies (HYMD10, HYMG12) reacted specifically with C. pneumoniae, as measured by an ELISA and indirect immunofluorecent stain. One of the monoclonal antibody (HYMD10) reacted with 75- and 39-KDa proteins in Western blot. The other monoclonal antibody (HYMG12) reacted with 98- and 39-KDa proteins of C. pneumoniae. CONCLUSIONS: These species-specific monoclonal antibodies (HYMD10, HYMG12) to C. pneumoniae could be used for diagnosis of C. pneumoniae infections.