The cis-AB01 Allele Originated From the A105 Allele, and not From the A102 Allele

No abstract available.

Identification of Vibrio vulnificus by the Microscan and the Vitek II Systems / 대한진단검사의학회지

BACKGROUND: Vibrio vulnificus sepsis requires a rapid and accurate bacteriological diagnosis for optimal management of the patient because of its high mortality. We evaluated two automated bacteriological identification systems, Microscan (WalkAway 96, Dade Behring, West Sacramento, CA, USA) and Vitek II (bioMerieux, Durham, NC, USA), for their ability to identify V. vulnificus strains isolated from clinical specimens. METHODS: A total of 60 V. vulnificus strains isolated from clinical specimens in Chonnam University Hospital during 1993-2003 were tested. For the identification of the isolates by the Microscan, Neg Combo type 32 was used and four different panel inoculation methods were evaluated for accuracy. Identification by the Vitek II system was carried out using Vitek ID-GNB cards in accordance with the manufacturers, instruction using 0.45% saline media. RESULTS: With the Microscan, the most accurate identification result was obtained after a modified inoculation method of the panel with a bacterial suspension prepared in 0.85% saline; the identification rate was 100%. The identification rate of Vitek II system was 96.7%; two strains of V. vulnificus were misidentified as V. harveyi and V. alginolyticus. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that both Microscan and Vitek II are adequate for the identification of clinical isolates of V. vulnificus, but for the identification by the Microscan a modified inoculation method should be used by suspending the organisms in 0.85% saline.

DNA Fingerprinting of Candida albicans Strains Isolated from Candidemic Patients by Polymerase Chain Reaction and Southern Hybridization Methods

BACKGROUND: Although several molecular typing methods have been used to investigate C. albicans infections, there remains no "gold standard" method by which relatedness of C. albicans strains is determined. In this study, two DNA fingerprinting methods were compared for genotyping of clinical strains of C. albicans isolated from candidemic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine strains of C. albicans isolated from various clinical specimens (14 from blood, 7 from catheter, 4 from respiratory tract secretion, and 4 from urine) of 14 candidemic patients were analyzed. Primer 1245 and 1246 were employed for IR PCR and Southern blot hybridization method was used for C2 fingerprinting, with Ca3 and C1 as primers, after the fragmentation of DNA with EcoR1 RESULTS: IR PCR method separated 29 isolates into 9 (1245 primer), 7 (1246 primer) and 14 (combination of two primers) types, whereas C1 fingerprinting identified 16 different types. By combining the IR PCR and C1 fingerprinting methods, total of 16 different genotypes were identified among 29 isolates from 14 patients, which is the same result obtained by the C1 fingerprinting only. Using both methods, blood and non-blood isolates from each patient produced identical genotypes for 10 patients and different genotypes for 1 patient. In three patients, isolates from blood and other site of each patient showed identical patterns by IR PCR fingerprinting, but appeared different (n=1) or similar (n=2) by C1 fingerprinting. Overall, for 87% (13/15) of patients, isolates collected from catheter (6 of 7 patients), urine (4 of 4 patients), or respiratory (3 of 4 patients) were identical or similar to the corresponding blood isolates. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that C1 fingerprinting method is more discriminatory than IR PCR for the molecular typing of C. albicans isolates. For the majority of patients, blood and other site isolates had identical or similar genotypes.

DNA Fingerprinting of Candida albicans Strains Isolated from Candidemic Patients by Polymerase Chain Reaction and Southern Hybridization Methods

BACKGROUND: Although several molecular typing methods have been used to investigate C. albicans infections, there remains no "gold standard" method by which relatedness of C. albicans strains is determined. In this study, two DNA fingerprinting methods were compared for genotyping of clinical strains of C. albicans isolated from candidemic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine strains of C. albicans isolated from various clinical specimens (14 from blood, 7 from catheter, 4 from respiratory tract secretion, and 4 from urine) of 14 candidemic patients were analyzed. Primer 1245 and 1246 were employed for IR PCR and Southern blot hybridization method was used for C2 fingerprinting, with Ca3 and C1 as primers, after the fragmentation of DNA with EcoR1 RESULTS: IR PCR method separated 29 isolates into 9 (1245 primer), 7 (1246 primer) and 14 (combination of two primers) types, whereas C1 fingerprinting identified 16 different types. By combining the IR PCR and C1 fingerprinting methods, total of 16 different genotypes were identified among 29 isolates from 14 patients, which is the same result obtained by the C1 fingerprinting only. Using both methods, blood and non-blood isolates from each patient produced identical genotypes for 10 patients and different genotypes for 1 patient. In three patients, isolates from blood and other site of each patient showed identical patterns by IR PCR fingerprinting, but appeared different (n=1) or similar (n=2) by C1 fingerprinting. Overall, for 87% (13/15) of patients, isolates collected from catheter (6 of 7 patients), urine (4 of 4 patients), or respiratory (3 of 4 patients) were identical or similar to the corresponding blood isolates. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that C1 fingerprinting method is more discriminatory than IR PCR for the molecular typing of C. albicans isolates. For the majority of patients, blood and other site isolates had identical or similar genotypes.

Usefulness of Track-C (Total HCV Core Antigen) Assays in Anti-HCV Positive Patients / 대한진단검사의학회지

BACKGROUND: Virologic diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is based on the use of sero-logic assays detecting specific anti-HCV antibodies, and then definitive diagnosis is made by detecting HCV RNA. Recently, newly developed Track-C (total HCV core antigen) test using an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) can detect and quantify total HCV core antigen in the peripheral blood of HCV-infected patients. In this study, the usefulness of Track-C test for the detection of HCV viremia was investigated by comparing the results with those of the HCV RNA test. METHODS: The study group consisted of 159 sera including 72 anti-HCV positive sera. The Track-C test was performed by enzyme immunoassay (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, USA) with pretreatment for the dissociation of antigen-antibody complex. HCV RNA test was performed by HCV in house RT-nested PCR method. Results were calculated for the sensitivity, specificity and efficiency by comparing to each other. RESULTS: The efficiency between HCV RNA and Track-C was 77.4% for the 72 anti-HCV positivesera. Comparing with the results of HCV RNA, Track-C assay showed the sensitivity and specificity of 56.0% and 96.4%, respectively. Track-C assay demonstrated a relatively good linearity (R2=0.9836) and reproducibility (CV=4.4%) at high concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Although the sensitivity of Track-C assay was not as high as that of HCV RT-PCR, a positive Track-C assay suggests the presence of HCV viremia, especially at higher concentrations. Track-C assay, therefore, may be used as a simple and supplementary test for HCV viremia and for follow-up monitoring.

Evaluation of a Spectrophotometric Broth Microdilution Method for Determining Fluconazole Susceptibility of Candida albicans: Influence of RPMI and RPMI-2% Glucose on the Selection of Endpoint Criteria / 대한진단검사의학회지

BACKGROUND: Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) endpoint determination is the major varia-tion source for the fluconazole susceptibility test, especially for Candida albicans. In this study, we evaluated spectrophotometric broth microdilution methods using RPMI 1640 and RPMI supple-mented with 18 g of glucose per liter (RPMI-2% glucose) for determining fluconazole susceptibility of C. albicans. METHODS: A total of 129 clinical isolates of C. albicans were tested by the broth microdilution method using RPMI and RPMI-2% glucose. The MIC endpoint was calculated objectively with the spectrophotometer set at 405 nm. These results were compared to those by the National Commit-tee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) macrodilution method and the agar dilution method. RESULTS: The mean absorbances in the drug-free wells in RPMI and RPMI-2% glucose were 0.208 +/- 0.014 and 0.316 +/- 0.061, respectively, at 24 h and 0.339 +/- 0.094 and 0.530 +/- 0.104, respectively, at 48 h (P < 0.01). The agreement of the microdilution method with the RPMI within two doubling dilutions of the macrodilution reference were 91.5% (118/129) at 24 h and 76.7% (99/129) at 48 h. The percentage of agreement in the microdilution method with the RPMI-2% glucose were significantly higher: 100% (129/129) at 24 h and 99.2% (128/129) at 48 h (P < 0.01). In addition, the MIC endpoints were easier to detect in RPMI-2% glucose, because of the greater difference in absorbance in between grown wells and fluconazole-inhibited wells (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The spectrophotometric microdilution method with RPMI-2% glucose may have an excellent agreement with the NCCLS broth macrodilution method and may provide more easily determined MIC endpoints for fluconazole susceptibility testing for C. albicans.

Minimally Differentiated Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML-M0) in Children: Clinico-biological Characteristics of 4 Cases / 대한소아혈액종양학회지

PURPOSE: AML M0, a newly defined entity of AML, is a rare subtype with dismal outcome. We investigated the clinico-biologic characteristics of 4 AML M0 cases in childhood. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 4 AML M0 patients diagnosed at the Pediatric Department of Chonnam National University Hospital from Jan. 1995 to Dec. 2001. We analyzed the clinical, cytologic, cytochemical, immunologic and cytogenetic findings. Details on the treatments and their results were also described. RESULTS: AML M0 accounted for 5.4% (4/75) of newly diagnosed AML. Two of them were less than 2 years of age. One case was secondary leukemia following autologous transplantation for ALL L3. Morphologically, 3 cases displayed myeloblasts. All cases were having less than 3% of the blasts positive for myeloperoxidase (MPO) or Sudan black B (SBB) by light microscopy. Early precursor markers, such as CD34, HLA-DR, and CD7 were expressed in 100%, 100%, and 50% of cases, respectively. CD13 and/or CD33 were positive in all cases. Karyotypic abnormalities were demonstrated in 3: 2 involving chromosome 7 and one with complex abnormality. Three patients died from relapse and treatment related complications with the median survival duration of 4 mo (range 1-7 mo). CONCLUSION: AML M0 should be considered in leukemia cases negative for MPO/SBB, negative for lymphoid specific markers, and positive for myeloid markers. As those patients may have low possibility of getting remission as well as high risk of early relapse, more effective treatment strategies, such as stem cell transplantations, should be developed.

Three Cases of Factor XI Deficiency / 대한소아혈액종양학회지

Factor XI deficiency is a very rare autosomal recessive coagulation factor deficiency, comprising 1/million in ethnic groups other than Ashkenazi Jews. The clinical manifestations are extremely variable, and generally milder than those of hemophilia A and B. We describe herewith 3 children with factor XI deficiency, who were found to have prolonged aPTT in routine laboratory studies, or in evaluation of intermittent epistaxis.