• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.101-108
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• 2020

Infections by herpes simplex viruses have an immense impact on humans, ranging from self-limiting, benign illness to serious, life-threatening diseases. While nucleoside analog drugs are available, resistance has been increasing and currently no vaccine exists. Ginsenosides derived from Panax ginseng have been documented to inhibit several viruses and bolster immune defenses. This study evaluated 12 of the most relevant ginsenosides from P. ginseng for toxicities and inhibition of herpes simplex viruses types 1 and 2 in Vero cells. The effects of test compounds and virus infection were determined using a PrestoBlue cell viability assay. Time course studies were also conducted to better understand at what points the virus life cycle was affected. Non-toxic concentrations of the ginsenosides were determined and ranged from 12.5 μM to greater than 100 μM. Ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 demonstrated the greatest inhibitory effect and was active against both HSV-1 and HSV-2 with an IC₅₀ of approximately 35 μM. The most dramatic inhibition-over 100% compared to controls-occurred when the virus was exposed to 20(S)-Rg3 for 4 h prior to being added to cells. 20(S)-Rg3 holds promise as a potential chemotherapeutic agent against herpes simplex viruses and, when used together with valacyclovir, may prevent increased resistance to drugs.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 1999

To search for less toxic antiherpetic agents, the inhibitory effects of twelve kinds of flavonoids including chrysin, quercetin, quercitrin, rutin, fisetin, gossypin, kaempferol, morin, naringenin, naringin, hesperetin and hesperidin on the plaque formation of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) in Vero cells were examined by plaque reduction assay in vitro. Some flavonoids tested in this study showed potent antiherpetic activity, reducing intracellular replication of herpes simplex viruses when Vero cell monolayers were infected and subsequently cultured in medium containing flavonoids. Naringenin showed the most potent antiviral activity against HSV-1 with selectivity index (SI) of 19.1 and hesperetin showed the most potent antiviral activity against HSV-2 with SI of 9.8. These results suggest that some flavonoids may be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment and prevention of herpes simplex virus infections.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.417-429
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• 1996

Herpes simplex viruses(HSV) are one of the most common infectious virus of man. Though chemotherapies and antibiotics against HSV have been developed in many countries, but anti-HSV agents were not satisfactory to mankind by their toxic reaction and side effects. In order to search for anti-HSV agents from Korean traditional prescriptions, we extended the number of specimens. Both methanol extract and boilling water extract of the Korean traditional prescriptions were screened to detect anti-HSV activities by MTT assay. Korean traditional prescriptions showing anti-HSV activities as methanl extracts were Paekyopsan, Chesupwilyungtang, Yongdamsagantang, and prescription 11. Four methanol extracts showing anti-HSV activities were freationated by hexane and their efficacies were tested. Hexane freationations of Paekyopsan, Chesupwilyungtang, and prescription 11 showed in anti-HSV activities both haxane and methanol fractionation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.350-354
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• 2008

In order to investigate the prevalence of sexually transmitted viruses such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) in Korean commercial sex workers (CSWs), we selected 188 CSWs (age range 20-44 years, median age 24 years) who regularly visited one public health center in Seoul, Korea. HPV genotypes were analyzed by using a HPV DNA Chip, and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect type-specific IgG against HSV2 antibody identifying seropositivity for HSV2 infection. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed with specific primers to detect HPV and HSV1/2 in cervical swabs from the CSWs. The prevalence of HPV infection was 83.5% in 188 cervical swab specimens and the main high-risk HPV genotypes were HPV16, 18, 56, and 58. The principal low-risk HPV genotypes were HPV6 and 11. The prevalence of HSV1/2 DNA was 13.8% and HSV2 seroprevalence was 86.2%. These results suggest that high frequencies of HPV and HSV2 infection might contribute to the rapid spread of STD viruses in CSWs in Korea. Additionally, an understanding of why high-risk HPV genotypes are so prevalent could provide guidelines for prophylactic vaccine development in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.68-70
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• 2024

Finger infections are a common problem often caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi. Similarly, toe infections can present with similar clinical symptoms. Prompt identification of the cause of an infection is crucial for preventing disease progression to a state necessitating immediate and appropriate medical or surgical intervention. Herpetic whitlow is characterized by erythema and painful, non-purulent vesicles and typically results from a herpes simplex virus type 1 or 2 finger infections. However, while herpes whitlow of a finger is common, cases involving a toe are rare. Consequently, a lack of experience of herpetic whitlow of the toe could lead to a misdiagnosis as a bacterial infection and potentially result in unnecessary surgical treatment. Herein, we present a case of herpetic whitlow affecting a great toe that was initially misdiagnosed as a bacterial infection and subsequently treated surgically.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.171-178
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• 2000

Herpes simplex virus, Varicella zoster virus and Human herpes virus-6 caused central nervous system infections and latent infections but there is no data of the 3 viruses being tested from the same cerebrospinal fluid samples with aseptic meningitis or encephalitis in adults patients. These viruses produced similar neurologic symptoms but difficulties existed in differentiating of etiologic agents and therefore the viruses needed to be detected in the early state. Herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSVE) in adults, if not treated promptly was fatal. If treated with antiviral drugs in the early phase of encephalitis, neurologic sequales decreased by 65%. Recently, a PCR method for detection of HSVE with CSF was developed. VZV primary and secondary infections caused neurologic symptoms of encephalitis or meningitis. The second frequency of adult encephalitis that caused VZV were reported. HHV-6 caused CNS latent infection that was studied with normal adults brains. But there is no data of HSV, VZV and HHV-6 for aseptic meningitis and encephalitis of Korean adults through etiologic study. We cultured CSFs on HEp-2 cells and simultaneously tested for HSV PCR, VZV nested PCR and HHV-6 PCR with 8 specific primers. The PCR results of CSF from meningitis Korean adults were 13/19 (68.4%) for HSV, 10/19 (52.6%) for VZV and 12/19 (63.2%) for HHV-67/19 (36.8%) cases were triple infected HSV PCR, VZV PCR and HHV-6 PCR positive; 3/19 (15.8%) cases were dual infected HSV PCR and HHV-6 PCR positive; 1119 (0.5%) cases was VZV PCR positive. Strong viral DNA amplification of CSF means a causative virus may be present in aseptic meningitis or encephalitis patients and may cause clinical neurologic symptoms. HSV and HHV-6 viruses detection rate were higher than VZV by PCR with CSFs.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.34-40
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• 2005

GLPG (Ganoderma lucidum proteoglycan) was a bioactive fraction obtained by the liquid fermentation of the mycelia of Ganoderma lucidum, EtOH precipitation, and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. GLPG was a proteoglycan with a carbohydrate: protein ratio of 10.4: 1. Its antiviral activities against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) were investigated using a cytopathic inhibition assay. GLPG inhibited cell death in a dose-dependent manner in HSV-infected cells. In addition, it had no cytotoxic effect even at 2 mg/ml. In order to study the mode of action of the antiviral activity of GLPG, cells were treated with GLPG before, during, and after infection, and viral titer in the supernatant of cell culture 48 h post-infection was determined using a $TCID_{50}$ assay. The antiviral effects of GLPG were more remarkable before viral treatment than after treatment. Although the precise mechanism has yet to be defined, our work suggests that GLPG inhibits viral replication by interfering with the early events of viral adsorption and entry into target cells. Thus, this proteoglycan appears to be a candidate anti-HSV agent.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.158-163
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• 1999

In order to find less toxic antiherpetic agents, antiviral activities of quercitrin against two strains of pathogenic viruses such as herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) were determined in Vero cells using plaque reduction assay in vitro. Quercitrin showed a concentration-dependent decrease in plaque formation of HSV-1 and HSV-2. It also exhibited more potent antiherpetic activity on HSV-1 with 50% effective concentration (EC$_{50}$) of 20.4 $\mu$g/ml than on HSV-2 with EC$_{50}$ of 30.4 $\mu$g/ml. The combined antiherpetic effects of quercitrin with nucleoside antiherpetic agents, acyclovir and vidarabine, were examined on the multiplication of these two strains of herpesviruses in Vero cells by the combination assay. The results of combination assay were evaluated by the combination index (CI) that was calculated by the multiple drug effect analysis. The combinations of quercitrin with acyclovir and vidarabine on HSV-1 showed more potent synergism with CI values of 0.27-0.81 for 50%, 70%, 90% effective levels than those on HSV-2 with CI values of 1.03~2.20..20.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.74-84
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• 1990

Herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2(HSV-1, HSV-2) are the ubiquitous human pathogens responsible for a variety of afflictions. HSV-2 is one of the viruses that were suspected of promoting carcinogenesis in the uterine cervix. Certainly, there is a need for the more sensitive and accurate laboratory techniques for HSV detection. We examined total 80 cases of smears including 17 Tzanck smears of skin and 63 cases of Papanicolaou smears from total 77 patients with clinical impression of herpetic infections, from September, 1985 through August, 1989. Immunohistochemical typings for HSV-1 and HSV-2 were performed together with routine cytologic findings and compared. The results are as follows : 1) Patients were 9 males and 33 females, and age distribution was between 5 and 71 years. 2) Subjective symptoms such as ulceration, vesicle, vaginal discharge, pruritus, and pain were complained in 36 patients and 38 cases were genital herpes. Recurrence was noted in 11 cases. 3) Positive results were obtained in 42 among 80 cases. 4) Both routine cytology and immunohistochemical staining were positive in 13 cases and in 24 cases only immunohistochemical staining were positive. 5 cases were positive only in routine cytologic smears. 5) The cases that immunocytochemical stain had been performed were 37 cases, which were all positive in type 2. Among the above 37 cases, type 1 also were positive in 5 cases. The results show that the immunoperoxidase technique is one of the rapid and reliable method to confirm the herpetic infection when suspected and that it is particularly useful when the Papanicolaou smear findings are equivocal.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.299-304
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• 2004

To investigate the presence of infectious agents in human atherosclerotic arterial tissues. Atherosclerotic plaques were removed from 128 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy or other bypass proce­dures for occlusive disease, and from twenty normal arterial wall samples, obtained from transplant donors with no history of diabetes, hypertension, smoking, or hyperlipidemia. Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or reverse transcription-PCR, these samples were analyzed for the presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae, cytomegalovirus, enterovirus, adenovirus, herpes simplex viruses types 1 and 2, and Epstein-Barr virus. The amplicons were then sequenced, and phylogenetic analyses were per­formed. Enteroviral RNA was found in 22 of 128 atherosclerotic vascular lesions $(17.2\%),$ and C. pneu­moniae and cytomegalovirus were each found in 2 samples $(1.6\%).$ In contrast, adenovirus, herpes simplex viruses, and Epstein-Barr virus were not identified in any of the atherosclerotic samples. Enterovirus was detected in 6/24 $(25.0\%)$ aortas, 7/33 $(21.2\%)$ carotid arteries, 6/40 $(15.0\%)$ femoral arteries, and 3/31 $(9.7\%)$ radial arteries of patients with chronic renal failure. There were no infectious agents detected in any of the control specimens. Using phylogenetic analysis, the enterovirus isolates were clustered into 3 groups, arranged as echovirus 9 and coxsackieviruses Bl and B3. Enteroviral RNA was detected in $17.2\%$ of atherosclerotic plaques, but was not observed in any of the control spec­imens. This suggests a connection between enteroviral infection and atherosclerosis. These findings dif­fer from those of other studies, which found more frequent incidence of C. pneumoniae and cytomegalovirus infection in atherosclerotic plaques.