Objective: To evaluate whether hyperoxia-induced ΔR1 (hyperO2ΔR1) can accurately identify histological infarction in an acute cerebral stroke model. Materials and Methods: In 18 rats, MRI parameters, including hyperO2ΔR1, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), cerebral blood flow and volume, and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake on PET were measured 2.5, 4.5, and 6.5 hours after a 60-minutes occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery. Histological examination of the brain was performed immediately following the imaging studies. MRI and PET images were co-registered with digitized histological images. The ipsilateral hemisphere was divided into histological infarct (histological cell death), non-infarct ischemic (no cell death but ADC decrease), and nonischemic (no cell death or ADC decrease) areas for comparisons of imaging parameters. The levels of hyperO2ΔR1 and ADC were measured voxel-wise from the infarct core to the non-ischemic region. The correlation between areas of hyperO2ΔR1-derived infarction and histological cell death was evaluated. Results: HyperO2ΔR1 increased only in the infarct area (p ≤ 0.046) compared to the other areas. ADC decreased stepwise from non-ischemic to infarct areas (p = 0.002 at all time points). The other parameters did not show consistent differences among the three areas across the three time points. HyperO2ΔR1 sharply declined from the core to the border of the infarct areas, whereas there was no change within the non-infarct areas. A hyperO2ΔR1 value of 0.04 s-1 was considered the criterion to identify histological infarction. ADC increased gradually from the infarct core to the periphery, without a pronounced difference at the border between the infarct and non-infarct areas. Areas of hyperO2ΔR1 higher than 0.04 s-1 on MRI were strongly positively correlated with histological cell death (r = 0.862; p < 0.001). Conclusion HyperO2ΔR1 may be used as an accurate and early (2.5 hours after onset) indicator of histological infarction in acute stroke.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To investigate the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab (TCZ) humanized anti-interleukin-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, in Korean patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) refractory to conventional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) including methotrexate (MTX) METHODS: The main study was a 24-week, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial that was followed by a 48-week, open-labeled, extension phase. TCZ (8 mg/kg) or placebo was intravenously administered every 4 weeks. RESULTS: Those treated with TCZ showed more favorable outcomes in terms of 20% according to the American College of Rheumatology response criteria (ACR20) and ACR50 responses, individual parameters of ACR core set, disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) remission, and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response at week 24. These improvements were maintained or increased during the extension period. DAS28 remission at week 72 was associated with EULAR good response at week 12. The patients who experienced any adverse event (AE) were more frequent in the TCZ group compared to the placebo group. Most AEs were mild or moderate in intensity, although TCZ therapy had possible AEs including serious infection, abnormal liver function, and atherogenic lipid profile. CONCLUSIONS TCZ infusion add-on is highly efficacious and well-tolerated in Korean patients with active RA refractory to conventional DMARDs including MTX. EULAR good response at week 12 could predict DAS28 remission at week 72.

Ichthyosis is a heterogeneous group of hereditary or acquired skin disorders, characterized by increased stratum corneum production. Several systemic diseases and many drugs can occasionally cause acquired ichthyosis. We report a case of statin-induced ichthyosis in which the causality between statin and ichthyosis was found possible by using the Naranjo scale. A 79-year-old woman presented with pruritic skin lesions on both legs that appeared erythematous, scaly, and cracked. A clinical diagnosis of acquired ichthyosis was made and the statin was suspected as the cause. The skin lesions improved after 6 weeks of dose reduction of the statin.
Aged ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; Ichthyosis ; Leg ; Skin

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) site reaction in terms of diagnosis and outcome prediction in young children with Kawasaki disease (KD). METHODS: The incidence of BCG site reaction in the respective age ranges was investigated in 1,058 patients who were admitted at Asan Medical Center between January 2006 and February 2017. The 416 patients under 18 months of age were enrolled as subjects for the analysis of the association between BCG site reaction and other laboratory and clinical findings. The analysis was performed separately in complete and incomplete KD groups. RESULTS: The incidence rate of BCG site reaction was peaked at 6–12 months (83%) and decreased with increasing age after 12 months in 1,058 patients (P < 0.001). The incidence rate was above 70% in KD aged less than 18 months and more frequent than those of cervical lymphadenopathy. The logistic regression analyses showed that the principal clinical findings including conjunctivitis (P=0.781), red lips/oral mucosa (P=0.963), rash (P=0.510), cervical lymphadenopathy (P=0.363), changes in extremities (P=0.283) and the coronary artery aneurysm (P=0.776) were not associated with the BCG site reaction. CONCLUSIONS: The BCG site reaction could be a useful diagnostic tool independent to principal clinical findings in KD developing in children aged < 18 months, who underwent BCG vaccination. Outcome of KD patients was not different between groups with or without the BCG site reaction in both complete KD and incomplete KD.
Aneurysm ; BCG Vaccine ; Child ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Conjunctivitis ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Erythema ; Exanthema ; Extremities ; Humans ; Incidence ; Logistic Models ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Mucous Membrane ; Mycobacterium bovis ; Vaccination

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the statistical properties of four previously developed pediatric coronary artery z score models in healthy Korean children. METHODS: The study subjects were 181 healthy Korean children, whose age ranged from 1 month to 15 years. The diameter of each coronary artery was measured using 2-dimensional echocardiography and converted to the z score in the four models (McCrindle, Olivieri, Dallaire, and Japanese model). Descriptive statistical analyses and 1-sample t tests were performed. RESULTS: All calculated z scores had P values of ≥0.050 using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The one sample t test showed that the mean z scores did not converge to zero except in 1 model, and the mean right coronary artery (RCA) z score was less than zero in all 4 models. The smaller RCA diameter in this study could be associated with the more distal measuring point used to avoid the conal branch. The percentage of subjects with extreme z score values (≥2.0 and ≥2.5) for the left main coronary artery (LMCA) seems to be higher in the Dallaire (4.9% and 3.3%) and Japanese models (7.1% and 3.8%). CONCLUSION: All 4 models showed statistical feasibility of normal distribution. More precise instructions would be needed for the measurement of the RCA. The higher percentage of extreme z scores for the LMCA is compatible with the basic understanding of anatomic variation in the LMCA.
Anatomic Variation ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Child* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome

PURPOSE: This study investigated predictors of unresponsiveness to second-line intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment for Kawasaki disease (KD). METHODS: This was a single-center analysis of the medical records of 588 patients with KD who had been admitted to Asan Medical Center between 2006 and 2014. Related clinical and laboratory data were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Eighty (13.6%) of the 588 patients with KD were unresponsive to the initial IVIG treatment and received a second dose. For these 80 patients, univariate analysis of the laboratory results obtained before administering the second-line IVIG treatment showed that white blood cell count, neutrophil percent, hemoglobin level, platelet count, serum protein level, albumin level, potassium level, and C-reactive protein level were significant predictors. The addition of methyl prednisolone to the second-line regimen was not associated with treatment response (odds ratio [OR], 0.871; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.216–3.512; P=0.846). Multivariate analysis revealed serum protein level to be the only predictor of unresponsiveness to the second-line treatment (OR, 0.160; 95% CI, 0.028–0.911; P=0.039). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis to determine predictors of unresponsiveness to the second dose of IVIG showed a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 72% at a serum protein cutoff level of <7.15 g/dL. CONCLUSION: The serum protein level of the patient prior to the second dose of IVIG is a significant predictor of unresponsiveness. The addition of methyl prednisolone to the second-line regimen produces no treatment benefit.
Blood Proteins ; C-Reactive Protein ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins* ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Leukocyte Count ; Logistic Models ; Medical Records ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neutrophils ; Platelet Count ; Potassium ; Prednisolone ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: In 2004, the American Heart Association (AHA) had published an algorithm for the diagnosis of incomplete Kawasaki disease (KD). The aim of the present study was to investigate characteristics of supplemental laboratory criteria in this algorithm. METHODS: We retrospectively examined the medical records of 355 patients with KD who were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) during the acute phase of the disease. Laboratory data were obtained before the initial IVIG administration and up to 10 days after fever onset. In 106 patients, laboratory testing was performed more than twice. RESULTS: The AHA supplemental laboratory criteria were fulfilled in 90 patients (25.4%), and the frequency of laboratory examination (odds ratio [OR], 1.981; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.391-2.821; P<0.001) was a significant predictor of it. The fulfillment of AHA supplemental laboratory criteria was significantly associated with refractoriness to the initial IVIG administration (OR, 2.388; 95% CI, 1.182-4.826; P=0.013) and dilatation of coronary arteries (OR, 2.776; 95% CI, 1.519-5.074; P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Repeated laboratory testing increased the rate of fulfillment of the AHA supplemental laboratory criteria in children with KD.
American Heart Association ; Child* ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Fever ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Medical Records ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of applying MultiVane to liver T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) compared with conventional T2WIs with emphasis on detection of focal liver lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-eight patients (43 men and 35 women) with 86 hepatic lesions and 20 pancreatico-biliary diseases underwent MRI including T2WIs acquired using breath-hold (BH), respiratory-triggered (RT), and MultiVane technique at 3T. Two reviewers evaluated each T2WI with respect to artefacts, organ sharpness, and conspicuity of intrahepatic vessels, hilar duct, and main lesion using five-point scales, and made pairwise comparisons between T2WI sequences for these categories. Diagnostic accuracy (Az) and sensitivity for hepatic lesion detection were evaluated using alternative free-response receiver operating characteristic analysis. RESULTS: MultiVane T2WI was significantly better than BH-T2WI or RT-T2WI for organ sharpness and conspicuity of intrahepatic vessels and main lesion in both separate reviews and pairwise comparisons (p < 0.001). With regard to motion artefacts, MultiVane T2WI or BH-T2WI was better than RT-T2WI (p < 0.001). Conspicuity of hilar duct was better with BH-T2WI than with MultiVane T2WI (p = 0.030) or RT-T2WI (p < 0.001). For detection of 86 hepatic lesions, sensitivity (mean, 97.7%) of MultiVane T2WI was significantly higher than that of BH-T2WI (mean, 89.5%) (p = 0.008) or RT-T2WI (mean, 84.9%) (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Applying the MultiVane technique to T2WI of the liver is a promising approach to improving image quality that results in increased detection of focal liver lesions compared with conventional T2WI.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Artifacts ; Biliary Tract Diseases/diagnosis/radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Diseases/*diagnosis/radiography ; Liver Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatic Diseases/diagnosis/radiography ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: The aim of study is to identify the dependence of right ventricular (RV) free wall longitudinal deformation on ventricular loading through segmental approach in relatively large number of patients with atrial septal defect (ASD). METHODS: Patients with ASD (n = 114) and age matched healthy children (n = 60) were echocardiographically examined the day before percutaneous device closure and within 24 hours afterwards. RV free wall deformation parameters, strain (small je, Ukrainian) and strain rate (SR), were analyzed in the apical (small je, Ukrainian(A), SR(A)) and basal (small je, Ukrainian(B), SR(B)) segments. Measured deformation parameters were adjusted for RV size (small je, Ukrainian(AL), SR(AL), small je, Ukrainian(BL), SR(BL)) by multiplying by body surface area indexed RV longitudinal dimension. Regression analyses determined the relationships of these deformation parameters with RV loading parameters that were measured by catheterization. RESULTS: small je, Ukrainian(BL) and SR(BL) were not different between pre-closure patients and controls (p = 0.245, p = 0.866), and were decreased post-closure (p = 0.001, p = 0.018). Post-closure small je, Ukrainian(BL) was lower than in controls (p = 0.001). Pre-closure small je, Ukrainian(AL) and SR(AL) were higher than in controls (p = 0.001, p < 0.001), but decreased after closure (all p < 0.001). The pulmonary to systemic flow ratio was related to procedural differences of small je, Ukrainian(BL) (p = 0.017) and of SR(BL) (p = 0.019). RV end diastolic pressure was negatively related to post-closure small je, Ukrainian(BL) (p = 0.020) and post-closure SR(BL) (p = 0.012), and the procedural SR(BL) difference (p = 0.027). CONCLUSION: The longitudinal deformation of the RV basal segment is dependent and its remodeling is also dependent on volume loading in children with ASD.
Blood Pressure ; Body Surface Area ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Child* ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial* ; Humans ; Ventricular Function, Right

BACKGROUND: Although adding rituximab to the chemotherapy regimen of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and prednisone (R-CHOP) has improved clinical outcomes of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), several recent studies have shown that the effect of rituximab is dominantly in the non-germinal center (non-GC) subtype compared to the germinal center (GC) subtype. Natural killer (NK) cell count, a surrogate marker of immune status, is associated with clinical outcomes in DLBCL patients in the rituximab era. We investigated whether the impact of NK cells on clinical outcomes differed according to the immunophenotype of DLBCL. METHODS: This study analyzed 72 DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP between January 2010 and January 2014. RESULTS: Low NK cell counts (<100/microL) were associated with poor progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to high NK cell counts. In multivariate analysis, low NK cell count was an independent prognostic factor for PFS and OS. However, survival did not significantly differ between the GC and non-GC subtypes. We examined the clinical influence of NK cells according to the immunophenotype and found that low NK cell counts were significantly associated with poor PFS and OS in non-GC cases, but not in GC cases. CONCLUSION: Low NK cell counts at diagnosis are associated with poor clinical outcomes in DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP therapy. However, the impact is significant only in non-GC subtype DLBCL, not in the GC subtype.
Biomarkers ; Cell Count ; Cyclophosphamide ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Germinal Center ; Humans ; Killer Cells, Natural* ; Lymphoma, B-Cell* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prednisone ; Vincristine ; Rituximab