title: A hospital-based serological survey of cryptosporidiosis in the Republic of Korea.
abstract: The seroprevalence of cryptosporidiosis was examined using patients' sera collected from hospitals located in 4 different areas of the Republic of Korea. ELISA was used to measure antibody titers against Cryptosporidium parvum antigens from a total of 2,394 serum samples, which were collected randomly from patients in local hospitals; 1) Chungbuk National University Hospital, 2) Konkuk University Hospital, 3) local hospitals in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do (province), 4) Jeonnam National University Hospital, from 2002 through 2003. Of the 2,394 samples assayed, 34%, 26%, and 56% were positive for C. parvum-specific IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies, respectively. Positive IgG titers were most common in sera from Jeonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Jeollanam-do, and positive IgM titers were most common in sera from Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Chuncheongbuk-do. The seropositivity was positively correlated with age for both the IgG and IgA antibodies but was negatively correlated with age for the IgM antibodies. Western blotting revealed that 92%, 83%, and 77% of sera positive for IgG, IgM, and IgA ELISA reacted with 27-kDa antigens, respectively. These results suggested that infection with Cryptosporidium in hospital patients occurs more commonly than previously reported in the Republic of Korea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Tropical Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Kyu
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun-Taek
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Sun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.forename: Woo-Yoon
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jae-Ran
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan