BackgroundThe validation of sample stability through pneumatic tube system (PTS) is essential. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of PTS transportation on laboratory results.MethodsPaired EDTA and SST blood samples were collected from 56 randomly selected patients. Laboratory parameters were compared between PTS group and hand-delivered group.ResultsNo statistical differences were observed for complete blood counts, white blood cell differential parameters, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and most chemistry parameters between PTS and hand-delivered transport procedures. Mean platelet volume results obtained from samples transported through PTS were lower than that obtained from samples transported through hand-delivered method (P = 0.001). The results of aspartate aminotransferase (P = 0.000), lactate dehydrogenase (P = 0.000), and hemolysis index (P = 0.000) from PTS group were higher than that from hand-delivered group.ConclusionsAll laboratories should validate the stability of the results from samples according to transportation method.

BackgroundSeveral factors contribute to differences in Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype distribution. We investigated the serotype distribution and antimicrobial resistance of S. pneumoniae isolated between 2014 and 2016 in Korea.MethodsWe collected a total of 1,855 S. pneumoniae isolates from 44 hospitals between May 2014 and May 2016, and analyzed the serotypes by sequential multiplex PCR. We investigated the distribution of each serotype by patient age, source of the clinical specimen, and antimicrobial resistance pattern.ResultsThe most common serotypes were 11A (10.1%), followed by 19A (8.8%), 3 (8.5%), 34 (8.1%), 23A (7.3%), and 35B (6.2%). The major invasive serotypes were 3 (12.6%), 19A (7.8%), 34 (7.8%), 10A (6.8%), and 11A (6.8%). Serotypes 10A, 15B, 19A, and 12F were more common in patients ≤5 years old, while serotype 3 was more common in patients ≥65 years old compared with the other age groups. The coverage rates of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)7, PCV10, PCV13, and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine 23 were 11.8%, 12.12%, 33.3%, and 53.6%, respectively. Of the 1,855 isolates, 857 (46.2%) were multi-drug resistant (MDR), with serotypes 11A and 19A predominant among the MDR strains. The resistance rates against penicillin, cefotaxime, and levofloxacin were 22.8%, 12.5%, and 9.4%, respectively.ConclusionsThere were significant changes in the major S. pneumoniae serotypes in the community. Non-PCV13 serotypes increased in patients ≤5 years old following the introduction of national immunization programs with the 10- and 13-polyvalent vaccines.

We report here the generation of transgenic chickens that produce human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (hG-CSF) using replication-defective Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV)-based vectors packaged with vesicular stomatitis virus G glycoprotein (VSV-G). The recombinant retrovirus was injected beneath the blastoderm of nonincubated chicken embryos (stage X). Out of 140 injected eggs, 17 chicks hatched after 21 days of incubation and all hatched chicks were found to express vector-encoded hG-GSF gene. The biological activity of the recombinant hG-CSF was significantly higher than its commercially derived E. coli-derived counterpart. Successful germline transmission of the transgene was also confirmed in G(1) transgenic chicks produced from the cross of Go transgenic roosters with nontransgenic hens, but most of the G(1) progeny were dead within 1 month of hatching.

To determine the distribution of rotavirus strain genotypes in South Korea, rotavirus-positive stool specimens were collected from July 2002 through June 2003 at 8 hospitals in the Korean Rotavirus Strain Surveillance Network, and they were genotyped by means of reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. The globally uncommon G4P[6] type was the most prevalent type identified among strains (27% of strains), the newly emerging G9P[8] strain accounted for 11% of strains, and the globally common genotypes (i.e., G1P[8], G2P[4], G3P[8], and G4P[8]) constituted 55% of the strains characterized. Ninety percent of G4P[6] strains were detected in specimens obtained from neonates. Common genotypes were responsible for the rotavirus epidemic that began in January 2003 and ended in May 2003; however, an early peak in infections with the G4P[6] strain occurred from August through October 2002, and infections with this strain were detected throughout the remaining study period. G4P[6] strains were most commonly identified at 6 urban health care centers, but they were absent from 2 rural health care centers. The newly emerging strain G9P[8] represented a relatively greater proportion of strains identified at a hospital in the central region of Korea and at 2 hospitals in the southern region. The identification of novel rotavirus genotypes in this laboratory-based surveillance study underscores the importance to public health of continued strain surveillance among children for whom prevention of rotavirus infection by vaccination might be considered.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) has been known as a good source of progenitor for multiple connective tissue including cartilage, muscle, adipocyte, and bone. P-glycoproteins (P-gps) also known as ABCB1 that exports diverse substrates are the product of the multidrug resistance-1 (MDR-1) gene. P-gp expression has been reported in chondrosarcoma and hypertrophic chondrocyte in the human growth plate. This study was designed to investigate the expression of P-gp during chondrogenic differentiation of adult human stem cells. Bone marrow samples were obtained from nine human donors after informed consent. The isolated mononuclear cells (MNCs) were incubated as one pellet/tube and 0.5ml chondrogenic medium in the presence of 10ng/ml of TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 3 for 28 days. The expression of surface P-gps was analyzed by flow cytometry and quantitative RT-PCR was performed for the detection of mRNA expression of MDR-1 and type II collagen gene. Total collagen and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) contents of the pellets were measured. Surface P-gp expression of the MSCs was decreased during chondrogenic differentiation. MDR-1 gene was decreased 10-fold after the 2-week incubation whereas type II collagen gene was increased 491-fold after the 4-week incubation in chondrogenic medium. The total amount of collagen and GAG were increased during pellet culture. This study has demonstrated a decrease in expression of P-gp and down regulation of MDR-1 gene consistently by flow cytometry and quantitative RT-PCR, but an increased expression of type II collagen on MSC during chondrogenesis.

Purpose:In a previous study, we have shown that anticancer agents inhibiting topoisomerases improve survival of tumor cells under hypoxic condition. In the present study, we evaluated whether and how cell survival effect of the anticancer agents under hypoxic conditions could be eliminated by the addition of nitroimidazoles, a class of bioreductive agents. Methods: Human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) were incubated with different combinations of pimonidazole (1∼1,000μg/ml) and doxorubicin (0.1 or 1μg/ml) concentrations under different O 2 concentrations [1, 3, 5, 10 and 21 O 2 ]. Then cell numbers, glucose concentrations and lactic acid concentrations in the medium were measured, and DNA fragmentation assay was performed. Finally, different combinations of nitroimidazoles, such as pimonidazole, misonidazole, etanidazole, tinidazole, metronidazole, ornidazole or dimetridazole, and anticancer agents, such as doxorubicin, campothecin, epirubicin, dactinomycin, etoposide or mitomycin C was added to the cell culture medium under hypoxic conditions (1% O 2 ). Results: Pimonidazole at a concentration of 100μg/ml eliminated cell survival effect of doxorubicin at the concentrations of 0.1 and 1μg/ml under hypoxic condition (1% O 2 ) by promoting apoptosis. Almost all the cells died even after 24 hours of incubation for all the oxygen concentrations at a combination of 100μg/ml pimonidazole and 1μg/ml doxorubicin. Finally, pimonidazole at a concentration of 100μg/ml, and misonidazole or etanidazole at a concentration of 1,000μg/ml eliminated cell survival effect of all the anticancer agents tested under hypoxic condition.

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