The Evolutionary Trend and Genomic Features of an Emerging Lineage of Elizabethkingia anophelis Strains in Taiwan.

The incidence of Elizabethkingia anophelis bacteremia increased significantly in a tertiary hospital, Changhua Christian Hospital (CCH) since 2013. The infection density was 1.3 and 8.

Differentiation of qacA and qacB using high-resolution melt curve analysis, and both qacA and qacB but not qacC or norA types increase chlorhexidine minimal inhibitory concentrations in Staphylococcus aureus isolates.

Background: Chlorhexidine is one of the most essential ingredients in infection control applications. Except qacA, the effects of other various efflux-medicated biocide genes (including qacB, qacC, qacEΔ1, qacH or norA) on biguanides resistance are still controversial. In addition, most of the studies have discussed the effect of qacA/B on clinical S.

Copy number alternations of the 17q23-rs6504950 locus are associated with advanced breast cancers in Taiwanese women.

Objective: Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies and a leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. Both hormone-related factors and genetic aberrations could cause breast cancer. We investigated copy number alternations (CNAs) on four breast cancer-susceptible loci, namely , , , and ()-rs2981578, in Taiwanese women.

Long-Term Surveillance of Antibiotic Prescriptions and the Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance in Non-Fermenting Gram-Negative Bacilli.

The increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria has been recognized as a public health threat worldwide. Hospitalized patients and outpatients are commonly infected by non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli (NFGNB), particularly the - complex (ACB) and . Antimicrobial agents are critical for treating the nosocomial infections caused by NFGNB.

Methicillin-resistant with reduced vancomycin susceptibility in Taiwan.

is a versatile pathogen which can cause various mild to life-threatening infectious diseases. The evolution of resistance is notorious, from penicillin and oxacillin to vancomycin. Vancomycin, introduced in 1956, was once considered a most reliable antibiotic for methicillin-resistant (MRSA); unfortunately, the first strain of with decreased susceptibility to vancomycin emerged in 1996.

Identification of a proteomic biomarker associated with invasive ST1, serotype VI Group B Streptococcus by MALDI-TOF MS.

Background: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is an important invasive pathogen in neonates, pregnant women and the elderly. Serotype VI GBS, which has been rarely reported globally, has emerged as a significant pathogen in Asia. However, traditional serologic latex agglutination (LA) methods may fail to type isolates that lack of or low expression of CPS.

Characterization of two novel variants of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec elements in oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus lugdunensis.

Objectives: Staphylococcus lugdunensis, a species of CoNS, has become an important hospital pathogen because of increasing resistance to β-lactam antibiotics such as methicillin and oxacillin. Methicillin resistance is mainly due to the acquisition of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC) mec (SCCmec). Little is known about the structure of SCCmec in methicillin- or oxacillin-resistant CoNS.

Clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes of hematogenous pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis, 12-year experience from a tertiary hospital in central Taiwan.

Background: In Taiwan, studies about hematogenous pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis (HPVO) are limited. We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the clinical presentations, treatment, and outcomes of patients with the diagnosis of HPVO.

Method: This 12.

Epidemiology, clinical features, and microbiology of patients with diarrhea in community clinics in Taiwan.

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and microbiology of patients with diarrheal diseases in Taiwan.

Methods: From March 2014 to October 2014, patients with diarrheal diseases referred from the community clinics were enrolled into our prospective study. Demographics and clinical features of the participants were acquired.

Clinical features, antifungal susceptibility, and outcome of Candida guilliermondii fungemia: An experience in a tertiary hospital in mid-Taiwan.

Backgrounds: Candida guilliermondii is rarely isolated from clinical specimen. C. guilliermondii fungemia is seldom reported in the literature.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates with SCCmec type V and spa types t437 or t1081 associated to discordant susceptibility results between oxacillin and cefoxitin, Central Taiwan.

Staphylococcus aureus isolates with discordant susceptibility results between oxacillin and cefoxitin obtained using automated microbiology systems are infrequently observed. From April 2013 to December 2014, 1956 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and 1761 methicillin-susceptible S.

Validating the Sensitivity of High-Resolution Melting Analysis for JAK2 V617F Mutation in the Clinical Setting.

Background: Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) plays an important role in normal hematopoietic growth factor signaling. The detection of the JAK2 V617F mutation (c.1849GNT, GTC → TTC) is crucial for the diagnosis of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) and has become the essential criteria for diagnosis of MPN by the WHO.

Clinical manifestations, course, and outcome of patients with neutralizing anti-interferon-γ autoantibodies and disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial infections.

Neutralizing anti-interferon-γ autoantibody (nAIGA)-associated immunodeficiency is an emerging medical issue worldwide. In the present study, we describe and discuss the clinical features and outcomes of patients with nAIGAs and disseminated infections by nontuberculous mycobacteria (dNTM).We thoroughly reviewed the medical records of all patients.

Analysing the mutational status of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene in breast cancer.

Background: Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disorder for which the underlying genetic basis remains unclear. We developed a method for identifying adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) mutations and we evaluated the possible association between APC genetic variants and breast cancer susceptibility.

Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from tumor and matched peripheral blood samples collected from 89 breast cancer patients and from peripheral blood samples collected from 50 controls.

Mutation analysis of 13 driver genes of colorectal cancer-related pathways in Taiwanese patients.

Aim: To investigate the driver gene mutations associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) in the Taiwanese population.

Methods: In this study, 103 patients with CRC were evaluated. The samples consisted of 66 men and 37 women with a median age of 59 years and an age range of 26-86 years.

Evaluation of double locus (clfB and spa) sequence typing for studying molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Taiwan.

Background: Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is the "gold standard" for epidemiological investigation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), but several DNA sequence-based methods have been developed in MRSA typing because of the unambiguous results.

Methods: Ninety-one MRSA isolates were collected from the blood cultures of different patients from July 2008 to December 2008 in central Taiwan. The molecular characteristics of each isolate, including double locus sequence typing (DLST; spa and clfB typing), Staphylococcus cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec), and PFGE were determined for comparison.

High-resolution Melting Analysis for Gene Scanning of Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) Gene With Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Samples.

Background: There have been many different mutations reported for the large adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor gene. APC mutations result in inactivation of APC tumor suppressor action, allowing the progression of tumorigenesis. The present study utilized a highly efficient method to identify APC mutations and investigated the association between the APC genetic variants Y486Y, A545A, T1493T, and D1822V and susceptibility to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Molecular epidemiological analysis of Saffold cardiovirus genotype 3 from upper respiratory infection patients in Taiwan.

Background: Saffold cardiovirus (SAFV) belongs to the Cardiovirus genus of Picornaviridae family, and may be a relevant new human pathogen; Thus far, eleven genotypes have been identified. The SAFV type 3 (SAFV-3) is thought to be the major genotype and is detected relatively frequently in children with acute gastroenteritis and respiratory illness. The epidemiology and pathogenicity of SAFV-3 remain unclear.

Clonal dissemination of invasive and colonizing clonal complex 1 of serotype VI group B Streptococcus in central Taiwan.

Background/purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate clinical presentation, serotype distribution and genetic correlation of group B streptococcus (GBS) diseases. Since serotype VI prevalence far exceeded that reported in prior studies, genetic relationship of isolates was further analyzed.

Methods: GBS isolates obtaining from patients with invasive diseases and pregnant women with colonization between June 2007 and December 2010 were analyzed.

Management and outcome of adults with skin and soft tissue infection caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a tertiary hospital in central Taiwan.

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been increasingly causing skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Only limited studies have made comparisons between incision and drainage (I&D) alone and I&D with adjunctive antibiotic therapy for treatment effects, and most of the studies were conducted before the emergence of MRSA. This study was to evaluate whether antibiotics provide added benefit to I&D alone for purulent MRSA SSTIs.

Concomitant genotyping revealed diverse spreading between methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus in central Taiwan.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile bacterium, which can lead to various infectious diseases. Various molecular typing methods are applied to the evolution and epidemiology surveys of S. aureus, mostly for methicillin-resistant S.

Correlation of virulence genes to clinical manifestations and outcome in patients with Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis bacteremia.

Background/purpose: Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (SDSE) is increasingly recognized as a human pathogen responsible for invasive infection and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS). The pathogen possesses virulence genes that resemble those found in Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS).

Fine typing of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates using direct repeat unit and staphylococcal interspersed repeat unit typing methods.

Background/purpose: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) typing is an important epidemiologic tool for monitoring trends and preventing outbreaks. However, the efficiency of various MRSA typing methods for each SCCmec MRSA isolate is rarely evaluated.

Materials And Methods: A total of 157 MRSA isolates from four different regions in Taiwan were typed with five different molecular methods, including SCCmec typing, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), spa typing, mec-associated direct repeat unit (dru) copy number determination, and staphylococcal interspersed repeat unit (SIRU) profiling.

Repeated colonization by multi-drug-resistant Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex and changes in antimicrobial susceptibilities in surgical intensive care units.

Background: A nosocomial outbreak of multi-drug-resistant Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-A. baumannii (MDR-ACB) complex infection occurred in a newly constructed building at a 2,500-bed tertiary medical center in Taiwan.

Methods: An investigation was carried out by molecular approaches to trace the bacteria.

Prognostic impact of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia patients with internal tandem duplication of FLT3.

The FLT3 gene with internal tandem duplication (ITD) is a poor prognostic factor in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and the efficacy of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for AML patients with FLT3-ITD is controversial. We examined 122 AML patients; 34 patients had FLT3-ITD and 39 patients received allogeneic HSCT. The median overall survival (OS) of patients with wtFLT3/nonHSCT, wtFLT3/HSCT, FLT3-ITD/nonHSCT and FLT3-ITD/HSCT was 40.