Sungkyunkwan University

About: Sungkyunkwan University is a education organization based out in Seoul, South Korea. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Thin film & Graphene. The organization has 28229 authors who have published 56428 publications receiving 1352733 citations. The organization is also known as: 성균관대학교.

High rates of resistance to colistin and polymyxin B in subgroups of Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from Korea

Abstract: Objectives: To investigate antimicrobial resistance in clinical isolates of Acinetobacter spp. from two Korean hospitals. Methods: Two hundred and sixty-five isolates of Acinetobacter spp. from two Korean hospitals were collected and were identified to species level using partial rpoB gene sequences. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using a broth microdilution method. Results: rpoB gene sequences indicated that 214 isolates (80.8%) were Acinetobacter baumannii, and allowed these to be classified into three subgroups (I, II and III); 142 isolates (53.6%) belonged to subgroup I, 54 (20.4%) to subgroup II and 18 (6.8%) to subgroup III. Forty-eight isolates (18.1%) and 74 isolates (27.9%) were resistant to polymyxin B and colistin, respectively. However, antimicrobial resistance rates varied markedly between subgroups. While A. baumannii subgroup I showed low resistance rates to polymyxin B and colistin (2.1% and 7.0%, respectively), subgroups II and III showed high resistance rates to these antibiotics (38.9% and 64.8% in subgroup II and 72.2% and 88.9%, in subgroup III, respectively). Multidrug resistance was also significantly more frequent in subgroup I (45.1%) than in subgroups II and III (13.0% and 16.7%, respectively). Conclusions: Our data indicate that subgroup identification of A. baumannii may aid selection of appropriate antimicrobial agents for the treatment of Acinetobacter infections.

What are the risk factors and settings for non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease in Asia–Pacific?

Abstract: The risk factors and settings for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Asians are reviewed comprehensively. Based particularly on large community-based studies using ultrasonography, case-control series and prospective longitudinal studies, the prevalence of NAFLD in Asia is between 12% and 24%, depending on age, gender, locality and ethnicity. Further, the prevalence in China and Japan has nearly doubled in the last 10-15 years. A detailed analysis of these data shows that NAFLD risk factors for Asians resemble those in the West for age at presentation, prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hyperlipidemia. The apparent differences in prevalence of central obesity and overall obesity are related to criteria used to define waist circumference and body mass index (BMI), respectively. The strongest associations are with components of the metabolic syndrome, particularly the combined presence of central obesity and obesity. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease appears to be associated with long-standing insulin resistance and likely represents the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Not surprisingly therefore, Asians with NAFLD are at high risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Conversely, metabolic syndrome may precede the diagnosis of NAFLD. The increasing prevalence of obesity, coupled with T2DM, dyslipidemia, hypertension and ultimately metabolic syndrome puts more than half the world's population at risk of developing NAFLD/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis/cirrhosis in the coming decades. Public health initiatives are clearly imperative to halt or reverse the global 'diabesity' pandemic, the underlying basis of NAFLD and metabolic syndrome. In addition, a perspective of NAFLD beyond its hepatic consequences is now warranted; this needs to be considered in relation to management guidelines for affected individuals.