Editorial Jayoung Kim Department of Laboratory Medicine, International St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, Catholic Kwandong University, Incheon, Korea Corresponding to Jayoung Kim, E-mail: lmkjy7@gmail.com Ann Clin Microbiol 2024;27(4):217-219. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2024.27.4.1Received on 17 December 2024, Revised on 19 December 2024, Accepted on 19 December 2024, Published on 20 December 2024.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology.This is an Open Access article which is freely available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Fungal diseases are becoming a growing global health concern, with an estimated annual incidence of 6.5 million cases of invasive fungal infections and approximately 3.8 million associated deaths, including approximately 2.5 million directly attributable to fungal infections [1]. The World Health Organization, in its first fungal priority pathogen list, identified 19 major fungal pathogens posing considerable public health threats, with Candida albicans, Candida auris, and Cryptococcus neoformans classified as critical fungal pathogens [2]. Moreover, since

Original article Seo Young Hwang, Young Kwan Lim, Kye Won Choe, Young ho Choi, Mi-Kyung Lee Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Mi-Kyung Lee, E-mail: cpworld@cau.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2024;27(3):185-196. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2024.27.3.6Received on 2 February 2024, Revised on 8 September 2024, Accepted on 9 September 2024, Published on 20 September 2024.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology.This is an Open Access article which is freely available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Abstract Background: As most Candida species cause opportunistic infections, it is helpful for patient care to determine species name of Candida spp. and their distribution in both sterile and non-sterile specimens. We aimed to investigate trends in the distribution of Candida species isolated from a hospital in Korea, along with their antifungal susceptibilities and seasonal variations. Methods: This study was conducted at the Chung-Ang University Hospital and included 8,760 different clinical specimens from

Original article PDF Jae Lim Chung, M.D., Young Ah Kim, M.D., Hee Bong Shin, M.D., Jeong Won Shin, M.D., Kyungwon Lee, M.D., Yunsop Chong, Ph.D., Jang Hyeon Park, Ph.D.* and Won Bae Kim, Ph.D.* Department of Clinical Pathology and Research Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Research Laboratories, Dong-A Pharm. Co., Ltd., Yongin, Kyunggi-do, Korea* Corresponding to Kyungwon Lee Ann Clin Microbiol 1999;2(2):182-193.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: β-lactam antibiotics are one of the most frequently used antimicrobial agents. However, with the increase of β-lactamase-producing bacteria, penicillins and 1st generation cephalosporins have become less useful. Cefatrizine and clavulanic acid combination (CTCA) was developed to restore the activity. The aim of this study was to determine the activities of CTCA against major recent clinical isolates. Methods: Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria tested were isolated from clinical specimens in Severance Hospital during 1996 to 1999. Antimicrobial

Original article PDF Wonkeun Song*, Tae Jae Lee, Taek-Kyung Kim, Han-Sung Kim, Jae-Seok Kim, Min-Jeong Park, and Kyu Man Lee Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Wonkeun Song, E-mail: swonkeun@hallym.or.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2005;8(2):160-164.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the Vitek system and the disk diffusion method for susceptibility testing of Enterobacteriaceae against piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) against trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT) using the broth microdilution method as the reference. Methods: Using the Vitek system and the disk diffusion method, we tested 96 isolates of Enterobacteriaceae (48 Escherichia coli, 26 Klebsiella pneumoniae, 8 Serratia marcescens, 6 Enterobacter cloacae, 2 E. aerogenes, 2 K. oxytoca, 2 Citrobacter freundii, 2 Pantoea agglomerans) and 61 isolates of MRSA for susceptibity against TZP and SXT, respectively; the broth microdilution of National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards was used as the reference method. Results: In the susceptibility testing of Enterobacteriaceae against TZP, Vitek system yielded

Case report PDF Sang Hoon Song1, Joon Jeong Park2, Kyo Sun Shin1, Sae Ik Joo1, Gwang Ja Lee2 , Kyoo Won Lee2, Hyun Lee1, Eui Chong Kim1 Department of Laboratory Medicine1, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul; and Department of Ophthalmology2, Cheil Eye Hospital, Daegu, Korea Corresponding to Eui-Chong Kim, E-mail: euichong@snu.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2006;9(2):131-136.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Colletotrichum is mainly a fungal pathogen of plants, but sporadic cases of human infection have been reported recently. Most of them are fungal keratitis and only a few cases have been reported worldwide. A 63-year-old female farmer developed foreign body sensation and watering in her left eye following trauma by rice leaves. At presentation, her visual acuity decreased and corneal ulcer and inflammation in anterior chamber were observed on a slit lamp examination. Numerous hyphae were found on Gram stain and a rapidly growing mold with cup-shaped acervuli and falcate

Original article PDF Gyun Yeol Ahn1, Sook jin Jang1,2, Sung Hyun Lee1, Ok Yeon Jeong3, Bidur Prasad Chaulagain1,2, Dae Soo Moon1, Young Jin Park1 Department of Laboratory Medicine1, and Research Center for Resistant Cells2, Chosun University Medical School, Gwang-Ju; and Department of Laboratory Medicine3, College of Medicine, Seonam University, Namwon, Korea Corresponding to Sook jin Jang, E-mail: sjbjang@chosun.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2006;9(1):42-50.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Blood culture is an important procedure for the determination of the etiologic agent of septicemia. Analysis of the blood culture results can provide clinicians with very important information for the empirical treatment of patients. Methods: In this study the blood cuture results at Chosun University Hospital during the years 2002 to 2005 were analysed to determine the species and antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates. Blood culture bottles were incubated in BACTEC 9240 blood culture system; the isolates were identified by

Original article PDF Sun Min Lee1 , Eun Joo Song1, Eun Kyoung Yang1, Il Kwon Bae2, Seok Hoon Jeong2, Jeong Man Kim3, Eun Yup Lee1, Chulhun L. Chang1 Department of Laboratory Medicine1, Pusan National University College of Medicine; Department of Laboratory Medicine2, Kosin University College of Medicine; and Department of Laboratory Medicine3, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea Corresponding to Chulhun L. Chang, E-mail: cchl@pusan.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2006;9(1):13-17.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: As clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus with reduced inhibition zone of arbekacin in disk diffusion susceptibility tests are observed frequently, we examined their susceptibility to the antibiotic by comparing the results of the agar dilution testing with those of disk diffusion testing. Methods: During the period of May through July, 2004, 88 isolates of methicillin-resistant and 11 methicillin-susceptible S. aureus were collected from clinical specimens in Pusan National University Hospital and Kosin University Gospel Hospital. Minimal inhibitory

Original article PDF Jeongsook Yoon1, Heewon Moon2, and Miae Lee2 Labgenomics Clinical Laboratories1; and Department of Clinical Pathology22, Mokdong Hospital, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Jeongsook Yoon, E-mail: js1345@hitel.net Ann Clin Microbiol 2006;9(1):1-6.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosafrequently causes nosocomial infection. Recently, there have been reports of infection with multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effect of antimicrobial combination against multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa. Methods: Twenty isolates of imipenem and/or cefepime resistant P. aeruginosa were collected from the microbiology laboratory of Ewha Womans Unversity Mokdong Hospital. Checkerboard titration method was used to assess the activity of ceftazidime or cefepime in combination with amikacin, gentamicin or aztreonam, and colistin in combination with ceftazidime or rifampin. Results: All isolates were resistant to more than 12 antimicrobial agents including imipenem and/ or cefepime by broth microdilution method; however, no isolates were resistant

Original article PDF Younhee Park1, Hee Bong Shin2,7, Chang Ki Kim3,7, Kyoung Ho Roh4,7, Jong Hwa Yum5,7, Dongeun Yong6,7, Seok Hoon Jeong6,7, Kyungwon Lee6,7 Department of Laboratory Medicine, 1Kwandong University College of Medicine, Goyang, 2Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, 4Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 5Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Dongeui University, Busan, 6Department of Laboratory Medicine and 7Research Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 3Korean Institute of Tuberculosis, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Dongeun Yong, E-mail: deyong@yuhs.ac Ann Clin Microbiol 2010;13(1):34-39. https://doi.org/10.5145/KJCM.2010.13.1.34Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Accurate and rapid identification of pathogens is one of the most important tasks of the clinical microbiology laboratory, and, in cases of rare pathogens, the identification is difficult and time-consuming upon the use of conventional methods alone. Herein, we will report our molecular work involving the identification of bacteria and fungi.  Methods: Sixty bacterial isolates had been