Jung-Ki Yoon

It was my great honour to be invited to the APSR-ISRD joint session at the ATS International Conference 2019 in Dallas. I sincerely appreciate Professor Kwun Fong and all senior researchers for giving me a chance to present my research in front of outstanding audiences. It was a wonderful experience without a doubt. I had the opportunity to present my research in three minutes. It was a short but excellent opportunity to summarize and rethink the meaning of our results. The comments and questions after my presentation were also constructive.

My research is about whole genome sequencing (WGS) of nontuberculosis mycobacterium (NTM) from co-habiting patients with NTM pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) to track the source of infection. Previously, we thought all patients with NTM-PD were acquired NTM from environments, not from other patients, since NTM species are ubiquitous microorganisms. However, recent studies using WGS have reported the spread of NTM pulmonary disease among patients with cystic fibrosis worldwide, and it raised concerns about the current isolation strategy for NTM-PD patients.

We diagnosed three pairs of NTM-PD patients co-habiting for at least 15 years without any immunodeficiency diseases. To understand the transmission of NTM in those patients, we collected NTM from their sputum and environmental samples in their houses, performed WGS, and constructed the phylogenic tree based on single nucleotide polymorphisms in the NTM isolates. All NTM isolates from patients were genetically far enough to say that the origins of NTM are not from each other. We also were able to identify the source of NTM in two patients living together; one from the kitchen and one from the bathroom in their house, separately. Our result supports the current concept that the primary source of NTM is the environment, and the host factor is more critical for patients with NTM-PD and those without other immunodeficiency diseases.

The joint session was exciting and beneficial for me. I enjoyed informative and inspiring lectures from senior researchers and oral presentations from other young investigators. Also, I had a good time with other young researchers from Asia-Pacific countries. Their strong passion for research and achievement motivated me a lot.

I look forward to another chance of meeting them and sharing our work again in the near future.