Re-emergence of foot-and-mouth disease in the Republic of Korea caused by the O/ME-SA/Ind-2001e lineage

The O/ME-SA/Ind-2001e foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) lineage is a pandemic strain that has recently become dominant within East and Southeast Asia. During May 2023, this viral lineage spread to the Republic of Korea, where 11 outbreaks were detected on cattle and goat farms located in Cheongju and Jeungpyeong. Infected animals displayed typical FMD signs including vesicular lesions with drooling and anorexia. Molecular diagnostic testing and genetic analysis (VP1 sequencing) showed that the causative FMDVs belonged to the O/ME-SA/Ind-2001e lineage and shared the closest nucleotide identity (97.95-99.21%) to viruses that have been collected from Mongolia and South-East Asian countries. Phylogenetic analyses showed that these sequences were distinct to those collected from the previous Korean O/ME-SA/Ind-2001e lineage outbreaks in 2019, demonstrating that these cases are due to a new incursion of the virus into the country. Prompt implementation of emergency vaccination using antigenically matched serotype O vaccines (r1 value: 0.74-0.93), together with intensive active surveillance on farms surrounding the infected premises has successfully prevented further spread of FMD. These recent FMD outbreaks reinforce the importance of research to understand the risks associated with transboundary pathways in the region, in order to reduce the possibility of a further reintroduction of FMD into the Republic of Korea.

On-Site Remote Monitoring System with NIR Signal-Based Detection of Infectious Disease Virus in Opaque Salivary Samples

Infectious disease viruses, such as foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), are highly contagious viruses that cause significant socioeconomic damage upon spreading. Developing an on-site diagnostic tool for early clinical detection and real-time surveillance of FMDV outbreaks is essential to prevent the further spread of the disease. However, early diagnosis of FMDV is still challenging due to the limited sensitivity and time-consuming manual result entry of commercial on-site tests for salivary samples. Here, we report a near-infrared (NIR) signal nanoprobe-based highly accurate detection and remote monitoring system toward FMDVs, which automates the analysis and reporting of diagnosis data. The NIR signal lateral flow immunoassay (LFA) was assembled with a nanoprobe with a stable emission intensity at 800 nm, minimizing the interference signal of opaque salivary samples. We investigated the clinical applicability of the NIR signal LFA at biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratories using 147 opaque salivary samples. The NIR signal LFA achieved a 32-fold lower limit of detection (LOD) than a commercial LFA in detecting live FMDVs, including all isolates occurring in the Republic of Korea during 2010-2017. Our results showed that the NIR signal LFA successfully discriminated the FMDV-positive clinical salivary samples from healthy controls with a sensitivity of 96.9%, specificity of 100.0%, and AUC (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve) value of 0.999. Finally, we substantiated the real-time collection of diagnostic results using a customized portable NIR reader at nine different laboratories of government-certified quarantine institutions for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

Enhanced detection and serotyping of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype O, A, and Asia1 using a novel multiplex real-time RT-PCR

Rapid and accurate detection and serotyping of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus (FMDV) is essential for implementing control policies against emergent FMD outbreaks. Current serotyping assays, such as VP1 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)/sequencing (VP1 RT-PCR/sequencing) and antigen detection enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), have problems with increasing serotyping failure of FMDVs from FMD outbreaks. This study was conducted to develop a multiplex real-time RT-PCR for specific detection and differential serotyping of FMDV serotype O, A, and Asia 1 directly from field clinical samples. Primers and probes were designed based on 571 VP1 coding region sequences originated from seven pools. Multiplex real-time RT-PCR using these primers and probes demonstrated serotype-specific detection with enhanced sensitivity compared to VP1 RT-PCR/sequencing for reference FMDV (n = 24). Complete serotyping conformity between the developed multiplex real-time RT-PCR and previous VP1 RT-PCR/sequencing was demonstrated using FMDV field viruses (n = 113) prepared in cell culture. For FMDV field clinical samples (n = 55), the serotyping rates of multiplex real-time RT-PCR and VP1 RT-PCR/sequencing were 92.7% (51/55) and 72.7% (40/55), respectively. Moreover, the developed multiplex real-time RT-PCR demonstrated improved FMDV detection (up to 33.3%) and serotyping (up to 67.7%) capabilities for saliva samples when compared with 3D real-time RT-PCR and VP1 RT-PCR/sequencing, during 10 days of challenge infection with FMDV serotype O, A, and Asia 1. Collectively, this study suggests that the newly developed multiplex real-time RT-PCR assay may be useful for the detection and differential serotyping of FMDV serotype O, A, and Asia 1 in the field.

Identification of the O/ME-SA/Ind-2001e Sublineage of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus in Cambodia

Foot-and-mouth (FMD) is endemic in Cambodia with numerous outbreaks in cattle, pigs and other susceptible animal species reported every year. Historically, these outbreaks were caused by the FMD virus (FMDV) of serotype O PanAsia and Mya-98 lineages and serotype A Sea-97 lineage. However, the trans-pool movement of FMDV between inter-pool regions or countries throughout FMD endemic regions has raised concerns regarding infection with the new genotype or serotype of FMDV in Cambodia. In this study, 19 sequences of VP1 coding region obtained from 33 clinical samples collected from FMDV-affected cattle farms in Cambodia during January to March 2019 were genetically characterized to identify the genotypes/lineages of FMDV. Phylogenetic analysis of VP1 coding sequences revealed that recent field viruses belonged to O/ME-SA/Ind-2001e (15.8%), O/ME-SA/PanAsia (52.7%), and A/ASIA/Sea-97 (31.5%). Besides, the field viruses of O/ME-SA/Ind-2001e in Cambodia showed 93.5-96.8% identity with the VP1 coding sequences of the same sublineage viruses from pool 1 and 2 surrounding Cambodia. This is the first report of O/ME-SA/Ind-2001e infection in Cambodia, suggesting that the trans-pool movement of the new genotype should be closely monitored for efficient control of FMD.

Phage Display Screening of Bovine Antibodies to Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus and Their Application in a Competitive ELISA for Serodiagnosis

For serodiagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), monoclonal antibody (MAb)-based competitive ELISA (cELISA) is commonly used since it allows simple and reproducible detection of antibody response to FMDV. However, the use of mouse-origin MAb as a detection reagent is questionable, as antibody responses to FMDV in mice may differ in epitope structure and preference from those in natural hosts such as cattle and pigs. To take advantage of natural host-derived antibodies, a phage-displayed scFv library was constructed from FMDV-immune cattle and subjected to two separate pannings against inactivated FMDV type O and A. Subsequent ELISA screening revealed high-affinity scFv antibodies specific to a serotype (O or A) as well as those with pan-serotype specificity. When BvO17, an scFv antibody specific to FMDV type O, was tested as a detection reagent in cELISA, it successfully detected FMDV type O antibodies for both serum samples from vaccinated cattle and virus-challenged pigs with even higher sensitivity than a mouse MAb-based commercial FMDV type O antibody detection kit. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using natural host-derived antibodies such as bovine scFv instead of mouse MAb in cELISA for serological detection of antibody response to FMDV in the susceptible animals.

Probe-based real-time reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RRT-LAMP) assay for rapid and specific detection of foot-and-mouth disease virus

Rapid and specific detection of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is a key factor for promoting prompt control of FMD outbreaks. In this study, a real-time reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RRT-LAMP) assay with high sensitivity, rapidity and reliability was developed using a targeted gene-specific assimilating probe for real-time detection of seven FMDV serotypes. Positive assay signals were generated within 15 min for the lowest concentration of a standard RNA sample at 62°C; this was substantially faster than that achieved by the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health)-recommended real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay. The new assay specifically amplified the 3D gene of all seven FMDV serotypes and did not amplify other viral nucleic acids. The detection limit of the assay was 10²  copies/µl which is comparable to that achieved by qRT-PCR. Furthermore, using clinical samples, the results of the RRT-LAMP assay were largely in agreement with those from the qRT-PCR assay with a kappa value (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 0.94 (0.86-1.02). The established RRT-LAMP assay that features assimilating probes is an advanced molecular diagnostic tool that is easily applicable to a wide range of circumstances and has high potential for use as an on-site diagnostic assay for rapid, specific, and reliable detection of FMDVs in clinical samples.

Introduction and Application of the Interferon-γ Assay in the National Bovine Tuberculosis Control Program in South Korea

Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic disease impacting both public health and the livestock industry. The interferon (IFN)-γ assay has been introduced as an ancillary test for diagnosing bovine tuberculosis to overcome limitations of the skin test. The objective of this study was to assess the IFN-γ assay in terms of diagnostics and as a nationwide surveillance program in South Korea. From 2012 to 2013, cattle (n = 120) with bovine tuberculosis and cattle (n = 426) from bovine tuberculosis free herds were subjected to the IFN-γ assay to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the assay, respectively, depending on various cut-offs (0-3.5). When optical density of the cut-off was 0.1, the sensitivity and specificity were found to be 81.7% (74.7-88.6) and 99.5% (98.9-100.0), respectively. After introducing the IFN-γ assay as part of the national control program, the IFN-γ assay and single caudal fold skin test data were collected from 47 regional veterinary services to compare the results of these two tests. Overall, the agreement between the IFN-γ assay and the single caudal fold skin test (n = 492,068) was 98.2%, and Cohen's kappa value for the two methods was 0.47. Serial and parallel use of the IFN-γ assay and skin test for the bovine tuberculosis control program were compared using samples (n = 91) from cattle confirmed as bovine tuberculosis positive in laboratories from 2014 to 2016. Parallel screening for bTB showed much higher sensitivity (86/91, 94.5%) than the following screening approaches: serial (47.2%, 43/91), single screening using CFT (63.7%, 58/91), or the IFN-γ assay (78.0%, 71/91). These results indicate that the IFN-γ assay and single caudal fold skin test are complementary to each other; therefore, parallel use of these two tests is considered a useful approach to reduce the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in South Korea.

Development of Monoclonal Antibody Specific to Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Type A for Serodiagnosis

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious and economically devastating disease affecting cloven-hoofed livestock worldwide. FMD virus (FMDV) type A is one of the most common causes of FMD outbreaks among the seven FMDV serotypes, and its serological diagnosis is therefore important to confirm FMDV type A infection and to determine FMD vaccine efficacy. Here, we generated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific to FMDV type A via hybridoma systems using an inactivated FMDV type A (A22/Iraq/1964) and found 4 monoclones (#29, #106, #108, and #109) with high binding reactivity to FMDV type A among 594 primary clones. In particular, the #106 mAb had a higher binding reactivity to the inactivated FMDV type A than the other mAbs and a commercial mAb. Moreover, the #106 mAb showed no cross-reactivity to inactivated FMDV type South African territories 1, 2, and 3, and low reactivity to inactivated FMDV type O (O₁ Manisa). Importantly, the solid-phase competitive ELISA (SPCE) using horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated #106 mAb detected FMDV type A-specific Abs in sera from FMD type A-vaccinated cattle more effectively than a commercial SPCE. These results suggest that the newly developed FMDV type A-specific mAb might be useful for diagnostic approaches for detecting Abs against FMDV type A.

Cross-protective efficacy of the O1 Manisa + O 3039 bivalent vaccine and the O 3039 monovalent vaccine against heterologous challenge with FMDV O/Jincheon/SKR/2014 in pig

After massive foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks originated from Jincheon County from Dec. 2014 to Apr. 2015, the effectiveness of the previous FMD vaccine containing only the O1 Manisa as the O antigen, O1 Manisa + A Malaysia 97 + Asia 1 Sharmir trivalent vaccine, was questioned in South Korea, and a change in the O antigen in FMD vaccines was demanded to control the FMD caused by FMDV O/Jincheon/SKR/2014, the O Jincheon strain. Therefore, the efficacies of O1 Manisa + O 3039 bivalent vaccine and O 3039 monovalent vaccine were studied for cross-protection against heterologous challenge with the O Jincheon strain. In this study, the efficacy of the O1 Manisa + O 3039 bivalent vaccine was better than that of the O 3039 monovalent vaccine, even though the serological relationship (r₁ value) between O Jincheon and O 3039 was matched according to the OIE Terrestrial Manual. According to serological test results from vaccinated specific pathogen free pigs, virus neutralization test titers against Jincheon were good estimates for predicting protection against challenge. A field trial of the O1 Manisa + O 3039 bivalent vaccine was performed to estimate the possibility of field application in conventional pig farms, especially due to concerns about the effect of maternally derived antibodies (MDA) in field application of the FMD vaccine. According to the result of the field trial, the O1 Manisa + O 3039 bivalent vaccine was considered to overcome MDA. The results of the efficacy and field trials indicated that the O1 Manisa + O3039 vaccine could be suitable to replace previous FMD vaccines to control the FMD field situation caused by O Jincheon FMDV.

Control of type O foot-and-mouth disease by vaccination in Korea, 2014-2015

On December 3, 2014, a type O foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak began in Korea. Although vaccinations were administered, FMD cases increased steadily for five months, and reached 185 cases by April 2015. Most of the affected animals were pigs, which are vulnerable to vaccination. The FMD virus belonged to the South-East Asia (SEA) topotype that had been observed three times in Korea between April 2010 and July 2014. However, the FMD virus isolated in December 2014 had a unique feature; that is, partial deletion of the 5´ non-coding region, a deletion not seen in previous SEA topotype isolates identified in Korea. We conclude that this outbreak included the introduction of a new FMD strain to Korea, and that Korea was now affected by genetically similar FMD virus strains that are related to those from neighboring countries.

A tailored reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification for sensitive and specific detection of serotype A foot-and-mouth disease virus circulating in pool 1 region countries

Rapid and accurate diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease viruses (FMDV) is essential for the prompt control of FMD outbreaks. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) are used for routine FMDV diagnosis as World Organisation for Animal Health-recommended diagnostic assays. However, these PCR-based assays require sophisticated equipment, specialized labour, and complicated procedures for the detection of amplified products, making them unsuitable for under-equipped laboratories in developing countries. In this study, to overcome these shortcomings, a simple, rapid, and cost-effective reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay was developed for the sensitive and specific detection of serotype A FMDV circulating in the pool 1 region. The amplification could be completed in 40 min at 62°C, and the results could be visually detected by the naked eye without any additional detection systems. The assay specifically amplified the VP1 gene of the Sea-97 genotype of serotype A FMDV, but it did not amplify other viral nucleic acids. The limit of detection of the assay was 10² TCID₅₀ /ml, which is 10 times more sensitive than RT-PCR and is comparable to the sensitivity of qRT-PCR. Evaluation of the assay using different FMDV strain serotypes showed 100% agreement with the results of RT-PCR. Surprisingly, the previously reported RT-LAMP assay did not detect all eight tested strains of serotype A FMDVs, due to multiple mismatches between primer and template sequences, demonstrating that it is not suitable for detecting serotype A FMDVs circulating in pool 1-region countries. Conversely, the newly developed RT-LAMP assay using improved primers can rapidly and accurately diagnose the genotype of Sea-97 strains of serotype A FMDVs from the pool 1 region. The established RT-LAMP assay in this study is a simple, rapid, specific, sensitive, and cost-effective tool for the detection of serotype A FMDV in the resource-limited pool 1-region countries.

Molecular and genomic features of Mycobacterium bovis strain 1595 isolated from Korean cattle

The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular characteristics and to conduct a comparative genomic analysis of Mycobacterium (M.) bovis strain 1595 isolated from a native Korean cow. Molecular typing showed that M. bovis 1595 has spoligotype SB0140 with mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable number of tandem repeats typing of 4-2-5-3-2-7-5-5-4-3-4-3-4-3, representing the most common type of M. bovis in Korea. The complete genome sequence of strain 1595 was determined by single-molecule real-time technology, which showed a genome of 4351712 bp in size with a 65.64% G + C content and 4358 protein-coding genes. Comparative genomic analysis with the genomes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex strains revealed that all genomes are similar in size and G + C content. Phylogenetic analysis revealed all strains were within a 0.1% average nucleotide identity value, and MUMmer analysis illustrated that all genomes showed positive collinearity with strain 1595. A sequence comparison based on BLASTP analysis showed that M. bovis AF2122/97 was the strain with the greatest number of completely matched proteins to M. bovis 1595. This genome sequence analysis will serve as a valuable reference for improving understanding of the virulence and epidemiologic traits among M. bovis isolates in Korea.

Reconstitution of ST2 (IL-1R4) specific for IL-33 activity; no suppression by IL-1Ra though a common chain IL-1R3 (IL-1RAcP) shared with IL-1

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) receptors are composed of ST2 (also known as IL-1R4), a ligand binding chain, and IL-1 receptor accessory protein (IL-1RAcP, also known as IL-1R3), a signal transducing chain. IL-1R3 is a common receptor for IL-1α, and IL-1β, IL-33, and three IL-36 isoforms. A549 human lung epithelial cells are highly sensitive to IL-1α and IL-1β but not respond to IL-33. The lack of responsiveness to IL-33 is due to ST2 expression. ST2 was stably transfected into A549 cells to reconstitute its activity. RT-PCR and FACS analysis confirmed ST2 expression on the cell surface of A549/ST2 cells. Upon IL-33 stimulation, A549/ST2 cells induced IL-8 and IL-6 production in a dose dependent manner while A549/mock cells remained unresponsive. There was no difference in IL-1α and IL-1β activity in A549/ST2 cells compared to A549/mock cells despite the fact that IL-33 shares IL-1R3 with IL-1α/β. IL-33 activated inflammatory signaling molecules in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Anti-ST2 antibody and soluble recombinant ST2-Fc abolished IL-33-induced IL-6 and IL-8 production in A549/ST2 cells but the IL-1 receptor antagonist failed to block IL-33-induced cytokines. This result demonstrates for the first time the reconstitution of ST2 in A549 human lung epithelial cell line and verified its function in IL-33-mediated cytokine production and signal transduction.

Role of confirmatory interferon-gamma release assays in school outbreaks of tuberculosis in South Korea

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the usefulness of confirmatory QuantiFERON(®) (QFT) testing among tuberculin skin test (TST) positive contacts to diagnose latent tuberculous infection (LTBI) in tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks among adolescents.

DESIGN

We used the Korean national claims database to identify the development of active TB disease in relation to initial TST (cut-off 10 mm induration) and subsequent QFT results.

RESULTS

A total of 7475 contacts in 89 schools were divided into four groups: TST- (n = 5714), TST+/QFT+ (n = 534), TST+/QFT- (n = 697) and TST+ only (n = 530). The mean duration of follow-up was 3.9 ± 0.9 years. For contacts with no LTBI treatment (n = 6868), TB incidence rates per 1000 person-years (py) and the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) compared with TST- individuals were as follows: TST+/QFT+, 66.2/1000 py (HR 35.59, 95%CI 14.03-90.31, P < 0.001); TST+ only, 10.1/1000 py (HR 5.16, 95%CI 2.91-9.17, P < 0.001); TST+/QFT-, 4.0/1000 py (HR 2.05, 95%CI 1.05-4.01, P = 0.035); and TST- 2.0/1000 py. The TB progression rate was significantly higher in TST+/QFT+ than in TST+/QFT- individuals (HR 16.82, 95 CI 5.84-48.46, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

A confirmatory QFT for TST+ contacts could reduce the number of candidates for LTBI treatment after school TB outbreaks.

Bovine tuberculosis in an Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea) in the Republic of Korea

Bovine tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis has a wide range of hosts including cattle and humans, but its incidence in otters is very rare. Our report describes a case of bovine tuberculosis in an Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea). A deceased female otter ~2-3 years of age that was raised in an aquarium was submitted to the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (Anyang, Republic of Korea) for autopsy in June 2013. Following gross pathological examination, many white nodules were observed in the lungs and mesentery. The nodules showed central necrosis infiltrated with lymphocytes and macrophages and surrounded by fibrous tissue. Acid-fast bacteria were detected in the necrotic foci, but no fungi were observed. Molecular analysis led to the detection of M. bovis, which is identified in otters in some European countries such as Spain and France.

Mycobacterium anyangense sp. nov., a rapidly growing species isolated from blood of Korean native cattle, Hanwoo (Bos taurus coreanae)

From the whole blood of Korean native cattle, Hanwoo (Bos taurus coreanae), a previously undescribed, rapidly growing, scotochromogenic isolate of the genus Mycobacterium is reported. Its 16S rRNA gene sequence, and the sequences of three other genes (hsp65, recA and rpoB) were unique and phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence (1420 bp) placed the organism into the rapidly growing Mycobacterium group close to Mycobacterium smegmatis (98.5% sequence similarity). However, phylogenetic analyses based on three different gene sequences (hsp65, recA and rpoB) revealed its location to be distinct from the branch of rapidly growing species. Culture and biochemical characteristics were generally similar to those of Mycobacterium fortuitum. Unique matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) MS profiles of lipids, unique fatty acid profile, unique mycolic acids profiles and a low DNA-DNA relatedness to M. fortuitum (23.6%) and M. smegmatis (39.7%) strongly supported the taxonomic status of this strain as a representative of a novel species of rapidly growing mycobacteria named Mycobacterium anyangense. The type strain is strain QIA-38(T) ( = JCM 30275(T) = KCTC 29443(T)).

Effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on mouse model of steroid-induced avascular necrosis in the femoral head (ANFH)

Avascular necrosis of the femoral head (ANFH) is commonly observed in patients treated with excessive glucocorticoid (GC). Single administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has shown to induce immune stimulatory factors. However, the effect of repeated administration of LPS on GC-induced ANFH has not been studied. Thus, the purpose of this study was (i) to examine the cytokine profile induced by repeated LPS administrations and (ii) to test the effect of repeated LPS treatments on GC-induced ANFH. A mouse necrosis model of ANFH was designed by chronic GC administration with co-treatment of LPS. Mice body weights in the LPS/prednisolone (PDN) co-treated group were lower than that of the untreated control group, but spleen weights were greater than the control group. The levels of IL-6, TNFα, and IL-33 in the liver and spleen of the LPS/PDN group were lower than the untreated control group, whereas TNFα level in the femoral head of the LPS/PDN group increased. Collectively, the effect of repeated LPS on the pathogenesis of GC-induced ANFH was associated with the TNFα level in the femoral head, but the pathogenesis did not correspond to cytokine levels in immune tissues.

Identification of nontuberculous mycobacteria isolated from Hanwoo (Bos taurus coreanae) in South Korea by sequencing analysis targeting hsp65, rpoB and 16S rRNA genes

Combinatorial molecular taxonomic approaches targeting 3 genes, 16S rRNA (1.2-1.3kbp), hsp65 (603-bp), and rpoB genes (711-bp) were applied to 43 non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) strains isolated from a Korean native cattle from bronchial lymph nodes and lung, Hanwoo (Bos taurus coreanae) in South Korea. Of 43 NTM isolates, Mycobacterium avium complex strains (MAC) were isolated with the highest frequency (31 strains, 72.1%). Contrary to other reports, M. intracellulare strains (23 strains, 53.5%) of MACs were more prevalent than M. avium strains (8 strains, 18.6%). Further separation of isolated M. intracellulare into genotype level by hsp65 analysis showed that isolates of the HG-1 genotype (60.9%, 14/23 isolates), known to be specific to Korean patients, was more prevalent than the HG-2 type (17.4%, 4/23 strains), which include the type strain, M. intracellulare ATCC 13950(T). Compared to NTM infections of Korean human patients, the pronounced difference found in this study is that no M. abscessus infections in Hanwoo were found. In conclusion, our data showed that the isolated species frequency of NTMs, particularly MACs from Hanwoo, was very comparable to that obtained from Korean human infection, suggesting that humans and Korean native cattle may share common environmental sources for NTM infections.

BIRB 796 has Distinctive Anti-inflammatory Effects on Different Cell Types

The pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and interleukin (IL)-1β are crucial mediators involved in chronic inflammatory diseases. Inflammatory signal pathways regulate inflammatory cytokine expression-mediated by p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p38MAPK). Therefore, considerable attention has been given to p38MAPK as a target molecule for the development of a novel anti-inflammatory therapeutics. BIRB 796, one of p38MAPK inhibitor, is a candidate of therapeutic drug for chronic inflammatory diseases. In this study, we investigated the effect of BIRB 796 on inflammatory cytokine productions by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in different immune cell types. BIRB 796 reduced LPS-mediated IL-8 production in THP-1 cells but not in Raw 264.7 cells. Further analysis of signal molecules by western blot revealed that BIRB 796 sufficiently suppressed LPS-mediated phosphorylation of p38MAPK in both cell types whereas it failed to block inhibitor of kappa B (I-κB) degradation in Raw 264.7 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that the anti-inflammatory function of BIRB 796 depends on cell types.

The Interleukin-1α Precursor is Biologically Active and is Likely a Key Alarmin in the IL-1 Family of Cytokines

Among the 11 members of the IL-1 family cytokines, the precursors of IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-33 have relatively long N-terminal pro-sequences of approximately 100 amino acid residues prior to the N-terminus of the mature forms. Compared to the mature forms secreted from the cell, 80-90% of the primary translation product is in the intracellular compartment in the precursor form. However, the precursors are readily released from cells during infections but also with non-infectious conditions such a hypoxia and trauma. In this setting, the precursors act rapidly as "alarmins" in the absence of a processing mechanism to remove the pro-sequence and generate a mature form. In the case of IL-1α, the release of the precursor activates adjacent cells via receptor-mediated signaling. However, there are no data comparing the specific activity of the IL-1α precursor to the mature form. In the present study, we compared the precursor and mature forms of recombinant human IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-33 proteins on the induction of cytokines from A549 cells as well as from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Similar to the mature form, the IL-1α precursor was active in inducing IL-6 and TNFα, whereas the precursor forms of IL-1β and IL-33 were not active. On PBMC, precursor and mature IL-1α at 0.04 and 0.2 nM were equally active in inducing IL-6. Given the fact that during necrotic cell death, the IL-1α precursor is released intact and triggers IL-1 receptors on tissue macrophages, these data identify the precursor form of IL-1α as a key player in sterile inflammation.

Interleukin-32 gamma specific monoclonal antibody and developing IL-32 specific ELISA

Cytokines are essential coordinators of defensive immune responses for resolving the invasion of pathogens such as bacteria, virus, and fungi. However, dysregulated cytokines are the main cause of various autoinflammatory immune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis. Interleukin-32 (IL-32) is a recently described cytokine and characterized as a proinflammatory cytokine. IL-32 stimulates monocytes and macrophages to induce important proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα) and chemokines (IL-8 and MIP-2) by activating the NF-κB and p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathways. The biological activities of IL-32 are associated with epidemic pathogens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, influenza A virus, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). IL-32 is transcribed as six alternative splice variants (α, β, γ, δ, ɛ, and ζ), with IL-32γ being the most active isoform. However, it is unclear which isoform is related to specific disease activities since there are no high quality antibodies available to measure circulating IL-32 in biological samples of patients. Therefore, we developed specific anti-human IL-32γ monoclonal antibodies from recombinant human IL-32γ, which was expressed in Escherichia coli. The IL-32γ specific monoclonal antibodies recognized IL-32 in cell culture supernatants and serum of IL-32γ transgenic mice. The newly developed IL-32γ monoclonal antibodies will be a useful tool to measure IL-32 level in serum samples of various inflammatory diseases. These monoclonal antibodies will be helpful in investigating the precise function of IL-32 in immune responses and in autoinflammatory diseases.

Development of isoform-specific monoclonal antibodies against human IL-18 binding protein

Interleukin-18 binding protein (IL-18BP) is a soluble antagonist of IL-18 originally discovered while attempting to isolate a soluble receptor by using IL-18-ligand affinity column. IL-18BP has four isoforms (a, b, c, and d) in humans and two isoforms (c and d) in mice. The human isoforms IL-18BPa and IL-18BPc neutralize IL-18 activity sufficiently at an equimolar ratio; however IL-18BPb and IL-18BPd isoforms lack a complete Ig domain at C-terminus and lose the ability to neutralize IL-18 activity. Mouse IL-18BPc and IL-18BPd isoforms, possessing a similar complete Ig domain, also neutralize the biological activity of mouse IL-18 at an equimolar ratio. Here we expressed recombinant proteins of the active human IL-18BP isoforms and developed monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against human IL-18BP a and c isoforms. We obtained two MAbs (78-4 and 38-3) of human IL-18BPa and two MAbs (18-7 and 29-6) of human IL-18BPc. The MAb clones 18-7 and 29-6 specifically recognized recombinant IL-18BPc in Western blot analyses and ELISA, whereas the MAb clone 78-4 recognized both isoforms in Western blot analyses, but only human IL-18BPa isoform in ELISA. We developed a sandwich ELISA by using the monoclonal antibody specific to human IL-18BPa isoform. The isoform-specific anti-human IL-18BP MAb may be a useful tool in categorizing a distinct group of patients from various autoimmune diseases related to IL-18BP.

Generation of monoclonal antibodies against recombinant AtSIZ1

Post-translational modifications of target proteins by small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) proteins modulate many cellular processes in yeast and animals. Here we present the development of monoclonal antibodies (MAb) and polyclonal antibodies (PAb) against Arabidopsis SIZ1 (AtSIZ1) protein with high specificity. Mice were immunized with recombinant AtSIZ1 protein for generating monoclonal antibodies via the classic hybridoma production technique. Anti-AtSIZ1 MAb and PAb were able to detect endogenous AtSIZ1 in Arabidopsis wild type and its complementary line formed by transforming C-siz1-2 mutant with construct containing the AtSIZ1 gene under the control of the native promoter, but not the siz1-2 deletion mutant. These results show that these anti-AtSIZ MAbs are highly sensitive to detect endogenous AtSIZ1 and can be used for immunoblotting and other experimental methods. The new anti-AtSIZ1 MAbs will be essential tools used to investigate the role of AtSIZ1 in plant developmental biology.