Review article PDF Il Kwon Bae, Seok Hoon Jeong, Kyungwon Lee Department of Laboratory Medicine and Research Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Seok Hoon Jeong, E-mail: kscpjsh@yuhs.ac Ann Clin Microbiol 2012;15(1):1-8. https://doi.org/10.5145/KJCM.2012.15.1.1Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Clinical isolates of Acinetobacter spp. in Korea exhibit higher antimicrobial resistance rates than in foreign countries and frequently show multi-drug resistance. Approximately 67% (272/405) of Acinetobacter baumannii isolates collected from 19 hospitals in Korea in 2008 exhibited intermediate susceptibility or resistance to imipenem and/or meropenem. The most important mechanisms in acquiring carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii in Korea are production of OXA-23 and overproduction of OXA-51, while that in non-baumannii Acinetobacter is the production of metallo-β-lactamases. All the carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates were identified as clonal complex 92 and belonged to worldwide clone 2. (Korean J Clin Microbiol 2012;15:1-8) Keywords Acinetobacter baumannii, Carbapenem,

Original article PDF Hyo Jin Kim1, Younghee Seo1, Wan Hee Kim1, Yangsoon Lee1, Hyukmin Lee2, Kyungwon Lee1, Yunsop Chong Department of Laboratory Medicine, 1Research Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 2Kwandong University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea Corresponding to Hyukmin Lee, E-mail: hmlee.labmed@gmail.com Ann Clin Microbiol 2013;16(4):182-187. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2013.16.4.182Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Antimicrobial resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae has become a serious problem worldwide, and ceftriaxone non-susceptible isolates have been recently reported from Japan and Europe. In this study, we evaluated the antimicrobial susceptibilities and molecular epidemiological characteristics of isolates from Korea in 2013. Methods: Sixty strains of N. gonorrhoeae were collected from Korean patients and prostitutes. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by the agar dilution and disk diffusion methods. N. gonorrhoeae multi-antigen sequence typing (NG-MAST) was performed in order to determine the molecular epidemiologic relatedness. Results: All of isolates were non-susceptible to penicillin

Original article PDF Youngsik Lim1, Yangsoon Lee1,2, Younghee Seo1, Jong Hwa Yum3, Dongeun Yong1, Kyungwon Lee1, Yunsop Chong1 1Department of Laboratory Medicine and Research Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 2Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, 3Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Dong-eui University, Busan, Korea Corresponding to Kyungwon Lee, E-mail: leekcp@yuhs.ac Ann Clin Microbiol 2013;16(3):120-125. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2013.16.3.120Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Gram-negative bacilli can be stored in cystine tryptic agar (CTA) at room temperature for over 1 year, but we experienced a loss of imipenem resistance among VIM-2-producing isolates. The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of loss of IMP-1 and VIM-2 genes during storage in CTA at room temperature and to document any change in the MIC of antimicrobial agents and the location of the gene. Methods: Bacteria were isolated from clinical specimens at

Original article PDF Eun Jeong Won1, Jong Hee Shin1, Won-Kil Lee2, Sun Hoe Koo3, Shine Young Kim4, Yeon-Joon Park5, Wee Gyo Lee6, Soo-Hyun Kim1, Young Uh7, Mi-Kyung Lee8, Mi-Na Kim9, Hye-Soo Lee10, Kyungwon Lee11 Department of Laboratory Medicine, 1Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, 2Kyungpook National University of Medicine, Daegu, 3Chungnam National University of Medicine, Daejeon, 4Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, 5The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, 6Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 7Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, 8Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, 9Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 10Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, 11Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Jong Hee Shin, E-mail: shinjh@chonnam.ac.kr Ann Clin Microbiol 2013;16(2):92-100. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2013.16.2.92Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: The incidence of fungal infections varies among hospitals and between different time periods. We performed a nationwide

Original article PDF In Joo Cho1, Jisook Yim1, Yangsoon Lee1,2, Myung Sook Kim1, Youkyung Seo1, Hae-Sun Chung1, Dongeun Yong1, Seok Hoon Jeong1, Kyungwon Lee1, Yunsop Chong1 1Department of Laboratory Medicine and Research Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 2Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Korea Corresponding to Kyungwon Lee, E-mail: leekcp@yuhs.ac Ann Clin Microbiol 2013;16(1):45-51. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2013.16.1.45Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Trends in the isolation of enteropathogenic bacteria may differ depending on environmental sanitation. The aims of this study were to determine trends in the isolation and antimicrobial resistance patterns of enteropathogenic bacteria over the last 10 years. Methods: We analyzed stool cultures of Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Plesiomonas shigelloides, Yersinia spp., Vibrio spp., and Campylobacter spp. collected at Severance Hospital between 2001 and 2010. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disk diffusion method for nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS)

Original article PDF Hyunmin Koo1, Younghee Seo1, Yangsoon Lee1, Hyukmin Lee2, Dongeun Yong1, Seok Hoon Jeong1, Kyungwon Lee1 Department of Laboratory Medicine, 1Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 2Catholic Kwandong University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea Corresponding to Hyukmin Lee, E-mail: hmlee.labmed@gmail.com Ann Clin Microbiol 2014;17(4):110-114. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2014.17.4.110Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection remains prevalent, and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance has made the treatment and control of gonorrhea more difficult. Therefore, it is important to compare isolation methods and transport media to overcome gonorrhea via epidemiologic understanding and to determine co-infection rates with other sexually transmitted diseases among primary-care hospitals. In this study, we determine the recovery rate of transferred specimens according to type of transport media and co-infection rate using PCR. Methods: Genital specimens were collected at three primary-care hospitals from January 2010 to November 2012 using transgrow media and commercial BD transport

Original article PDF Chang-Ki Kim1,3, Byung Soo Lee1, Myung Joon Choi1, Hee Jin Kim1, Kyungwon Lee2,3 1Korean Institute of Tuberculosis, 2Department of Laboratory Medicine, 3Research Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Kyungwon Lee, E-mail: leekcp@yuhs.ac Ann Clin Microbiol 2014;17(3):80-85. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2014.17.3.80Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are important drugs for treating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). However, due to widespread use of FQs, the resistance rates to FQs have been increasing among Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Rapid and reliable FQ drug susceptibility testing (DST) is crucial for successful treatment of MDR-TB. In this study, the feasibility of molecular detection of FQ resistance was evaluated. Methods: A total of 95 MDR-TB isolates were collected from Jan through Oct 2009 at the Korean Institute of Tuberculosis. DST for ofloxacin (OFL), levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin was performed using the Lowenstein-Jensen media absolute concentration method. Minimum inhibitory concentrations

Case report PDF Mi-Soon Han, Myungsook Kim, Yangsoon Lee, Dongeun Yong, Kyungwon Lee Department of Laboratory Medicine, Severance Hospital, Research Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Kyungwon Lee, E-mail: leekcp@yuhs.ac Ann Clin Microbiol 2014;17(2):69-72. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2014.17.2.69Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Campylobacter jejuni commonly causes bacterial enteritis but rarely causes extraintestinal infection including bacteremia. We isolated C. jejuni from the blood culture of a 20-year-old man presenting with fever and headache and also from the blood culture of a 23-year-old man suffering abdominal pain and diarrhea. This organism grew in anaerobic culture, showed curved Gram-negative bacilli by Gram stain, and was identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). (Ann Clin Microbiol 2014;17:69-72) Keywords Bacteremia, Campylobacter jejuni, Matrix- assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry

Original article PDF Hae-Sun Chung1,2, Yangsoon Lee2, Eun Suk Park3, Dong Suk Lee3, Eun Jin Ha3, Myungsook Kim2, Dongeun Yong2, Seok Hoon Jeong2, Kyungwon Lee2,3, Yunsop Chong2 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, 2Department of Laboratory Medicine and Research Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 3Department of Infection Control, Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Dongeun Yong, E-mail: deyong@yuhs.ac Ann Clin Microbiol 2014;17(2):29-34. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2014.17.2.29Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Background: Acinetobacter spp. is an important nosocomial pathogen for which increasing resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents has been observed. Prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter spp. in the intensive care unit (ICU) at a teaching hospital in Korea started to increase in 2008. The aim of this study was to determine the source of pathogen spread and to characterize the emerging strains at an early stage of outbreak. Methods: Samples from respiratory instruments

Review article PDF Young Ah Kim1, Kyungwon Lee2 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, 2Department of Laboratory Medicine and Research Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Corresponding to Kyungwon Lee,, E-mail: leekcp@yuhs.ac Ann Clin Microbiol 2015;18(4):103-110. https://doi.org/10.5145/ACM.2015.18.4.103Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology. Abstract Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become an increasingly serious problem in Korea, and multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE), and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii have increased over the recent years. More seriously, the recent emergence of carbapenem resistance among Enterobacteriaceae is thought to be an urgent worldwide threat. Active surveillance have been identified as an important tool as an intensified infection control intervention for the control of MRSA and VRE and may be also an effective strategy for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli. Rapid detection using molecular methods could aid in the