Improvement of the Diagnostic Sensitivity of Scrub Typhus Using a Mixture of Recombinant Antigens Derived from Orientia tsutsugamushi Serotypes

Diagnosis of scrub typhus is difficult because its symptoms are very similar to other acute febrile illnesses, such as leptospirosis, murine typhus, and other viral hemorrhagic fevers. To differentiate scrub typhus from other acute febrile diseases, a rapid and reliable serological diagnosis is important. We have developed a chimeric recombinant antigen cr56 and two other recombinant antigens, r21 and kr56, from various serotypes of Orientia tsutsugamushi. They were tested for the detection of antibodies against O. tsutsugamushi in the patient's serum samples using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and dot-blot analyses. As of conventional immunofluorescence assay (IFA), when the mixture of these three recombinant antigens was used, both sensitivity and specificity of the recombinant antigens were increased up to 98% in IgM and IgG at ELISA and dot blotting. Additionally, both sensitivity and specificity by detection of IgM and IgG antibodies at rapid diagnostic test (RDT), using the mixture of three antigens and gold conjugated antibodies, were 99%. Our results suggest the use of mixture of these recombinant antigen proteins in ELISA or RDT is suitable as a diagnostic test for scrub typhus.

The Effect of Learning Organization Construction and Learning Orientation on Organizational Effectiveness among Hospital Nurses / 간호행정학회지

PURPOSE: This study conducted to identify the effect of learning organization construction and learning orientation on organizational effectiveness among hospital nurses. Method: Data was collected from convenient sample of 296 nurses who worked for the major hospitals in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do and Gangwoen-do. The self-reported questionnaire was used to assess the general characteristics, the level of the learning organization construction, learning orientation and organizational effectiveness. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple regression. Result: The mean score of learning organization construction was 3.61(+/-.32), learning orientation got 3.26(+/-.39), and organizational effectiveness obtained 3.38(+/-.42). The learning organization construction affects of organizational effectiveness by 44.18% and learning orientation by 37.43%. CONCLUSION: This finding indicates that learning organization construction and learning orientation affects the nurses' organizational effectiveness in hospital.