Original article PDF Wonkeun Song, M.D., Jin Tae Suh, M.D.1, Jung-Oak Kang, M.D.2, Sun-E Kim, M.D.2, Myung Jae Park, M.D.3, Hee Chul Park, M.D.4, Yong Kyun Roh, M.D.5, and Dong Hun Shin, M.D. Department of Clinical Pathology, Internal Medicine1, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery2, and Family Medicine3, Hallym University College of Medicine; Department of Clinical Pathology, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine4; Department of Clinical Pathology, Hanyang University College of Medicine5, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Wonkeun Song, E-mail: swonkeun@netsgo.com Ann Clin Microbiol 1999;2(2):167-171.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Diagnosis of tuberculosis is more complicated because of low sensitivity and time-consuming procedures of the conventional diagnostic methods as well as nonspecific clinical features. Recently the serologic diagnosis of tuberculosis has been reported as one of rapid sensitive and specific methods. We evaluated the ability of a rapid ICT Tuberculosis assay (AMRAD/ICT Diagnostics, Sydney, Australia) to detect pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods:

Original article PDF Wonkeun Song, M.D., Kyu Man Lee, M.D. and Hyun Tae Kim, M.D. Department of Clinical Pathology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Wonkeun Song Ann Clin Microbiol 1999;2(1):8-13.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background：Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the single most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants and young children. RSV can be classified into two major groups, A and B with subgroups based on their reactivity with monoclonal antibodies. There were no reports on the subgroups of RSV isolates in Korea. The purpose of this study is to identify RSV isolates from patients with lower respiratory tract infections to subgroup level and to examine clinical characteristics of subgroup infections. Methods：RSV infection was diagnosed by viral culture of nasopharyngeal aspirates in patients with lower respiratory infection. Forty two RSV isolates over four successive outbreaks (94/95, November 1994-January 1995; 95/96,

Case report PDF Wonkeun Song, M.D., Taek-Kyung Kim, M.T., Min-Jeong Park, M.D., and Kyu Man Lee, M.D. Department of Clinical Pathology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Wonkeun Song, E-mail: swonkeun@netsgo.com Ann Clin Microbiol 2001;4(2):139-141.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Hafnia alvei is gram-negative bacilli that is rarely isolated from human specimens and is rarely considered to be pathogenic. It has been associated with gastroenteritis, pneumonia, meningitis, bacteremia, and nosocomial wound infections. But, no case of extraintestinal H. alvei infection was documented in Korea to our knowledge. A 50-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma was admitted to our hospital via emergecy department because of abdominal pain. The peritoneal fluid and 3 consecutive blood cutures yielded H. alvei. The organism was susceptible to all antimicrobial agents tested, except cefazolin. Despite treatment with intravenous cefotaxime, the patient was expired after 4 days due to septicemia. (Korean J Clin Microbiol 2001;4(2):139-141) Keywords Hafnia

Original article PDF Han-Sung Kim, Wonkeun Song*, and Kyu-Man Lee* Department of Pathology, The Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital, Daejeon, Korea, Department of Clinical Pathology, Hallym University College of Medicine*, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Han-Sung Kim, E-mail: khslsh@hitel.net Ann Clin Microbiol 2001;4(2):129-133.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background：Viral isolation in cell culture remains as a reference method for diagnosis of enteroviral infection. Enteric adenoviruses are cultivated in 293 cells. Enteroviral and enteroadenovrial tropisms for the gastrointestinal tract lead to the assumption that 293 cells would be useful in enteroviral isolation. We evaluated usefulness of 293 cells in the diagnosis of enteroviral infection. Methods：Human embryonic lung fibroblasts (HEL), HeLa, RD and 293 cells were used to evaluate viral isolation from clinical specimens, susceptibilities of the cell lines to reference enteroviral strains and influence to stool extracts on the viral isolation. Forty-four stool specimens collected from patients during the epidemic period

Original article PDF Wonkeun Song, M.D., Tae Jae Lee, M.T., Seung Joo Kim, R.N.*, Min-Jeong Park, M.D., and Kyu Man Lee, M.D. Departments of Clinical Pathology and Infection Control Office*, University of Hallym College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Wonkeun Song, E-mail: swonkeun@netsgo.com Ann Clin Microbiol 2001;4(1):45-51.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most common nosocomial pathogen, which is particularly prevalent in intensive care units (ICUs). We performed this study to investigate the modes of transmission of MRSA and the role of nasal carriage of MRSA to subsequent MRSA infection in ICU. Methods: From September to November 1997, all patients admitted for more than two days to the ICU were studied prospectively. Nasal swabs were obtained at admission and weekly during the ICU stay. Surveillance cultures of nares of the ICU personnels were done. Molecular typing was performed with repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR).

Original article PDF Wonkeun Song1, Jae-Seok Kim1, Han-Sung Kim1, Tae Jae Lee1, Min-Jeong Park1, In-Heon Park2, and Kyu Man Lee1 Department of Laboratory Medicine1and Orthopedic Surgery2, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Wonkeun Song, E-mail: swonkeun@hallym.or.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2004;7(2):124-129.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background : Klebsiella oxytoca strain exhibiting an unusual inducible β-lactam resistance phenotype was isolated from a wound specimen of a patient at a university hospital in August 2002. The isolate was resistant to ampicillin, ampicillin-sulbactam, cephalothin, cefoxitin, and demonstrated reduced inhibition zone diameters for ceftazidime in combination with clavulanate versus those for ceftazidime when tested alone. Methods : Antimicrobial susceptibilities were tested using the Etest and disk diffusion method. AmpC β-lactamase production was determined by modified Hodge test. The disk antagonism method was used to detect inducibility of β-lactamase. Conjugation experiments were performed by the filter mating method using the recipient Escherichia coli J53 Azir strain. PCR and

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

Original article PDF Han-Sung Kim, Jae-Seok Kim, Wonkeun Song, Hee Jung Kang, Kyu Man Lee Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, Korea Corresponding to Han-Sung Kim, E-mail: kimhan@hallym.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2007;10(1):14-18.Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: TT virus (TTV) infection is highly prevalent in the general population and in the patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV). The aim of the present study was to assess the positive rates of TTV DNA using different PCR primer sets in healthy and HBV or HCV-infected individuals in Korea.  Methods: TTV DNA was investigated in serum samples of 69 healthy individuals and 59 HBV-infected and 34 HCV-infected individuals by nested PCR assays using primers from N22 region, 5′-untranslated region (UTR), and 3′ UTR of viral genome.  Results: TTV DNA was detected in 43% of total study populations using N22 primers,