Paragonimiasis was one of the most common causes of cavitary lung lesions until the 1960s, but now it has become a very rare disease in Korea. A 16-year-old boy presented with hemoptysis and several days of cough. His plain chest radiograph showed nodular opacity with a cavity in the left upper lung region. Although his symptoms disappeared after taking antituberculous drugs, his plain chest radiograph and computed tomography images after completion of therapy showed a new nodule with a cavity in the left lung field. Through video-assisted thoracoscopic wedge resection, Paragonimus eggs were found in the lung tissues.
Adolescent ; Cough ; Eggs ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung ; Male ; Ovum ; Paragonimiasis* ; Paragonimus ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Rare Diseases ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

Paragonimiasis was one of the most common causes of cavitary lung lesions until the 1960s, but now it has become a very rare disease in Korea. A 16-year-old boy presented with hemoptysis and several days of cough. His plain chest radiograph showed nodular opacity with a cavity in the left upper lung region. Although his symptoms disappeared after taking antituberculous drugs, his plain chest radiograph and computed tomography images after completion of therapy showed a new nodule with a cavity in the left lung field. Through video-assisted thoracoscopic wedge resection, Paragonimus eggs were found in the lung tissues.
Adolescent ; Cough ; Eggs ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung ; Male ; Ovum ; Paragonimiasis* ; Paragonimus ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Rare Diseases ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

BACKGROUND: Extensive evidence has accumulated regarding the role of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in tumor progression, but the exact effects and mechanisms underlying this role remain unclear. We investigated the effects of MSC-associated tumor progression in MSC-sarcoma models and a gastric cancer metastatic model. METHODS: We conducted an in vitro growth kinetics assay and an in vivo tumor progression assay for sarcoma cells and gastric cancer cells in the presence or absence of MSCs. RESULTS: MSC-cocultured human fibrosarcoma cells (HT1080) showed accelerated growth compared with HT1080 alone (79- vs 37-fold change, p<.050). For HT1080, human MSC-coinjected tumors showed significantly greater and highly infiltrative growth compared to those of HT1080 alone (p=.035). For mouse fibrosarcoma cells (WEHI164), mouse MSC-coinjected tumors had greater volume than those of WEHI164 alone (p=.141). For rat sarcoma cells (RR1022), rat MSC-coinjected tumors exhibited greater volume and infiltrative growth than those of RR1022 alone (p=.050). For human gastric cancer cells (5FU), tumors of 5FU alone were compact, nodular in shape, and expansile with good demarcation and no definite lung metastatic nodules, whereas tumors grown in the presence of human MSCs showed highly desmoplastic and infiltrative growth and multiple lung metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: We observed morphological evidence for MSC-associated tumor progression of fibrosarcomas and gastric cancer cells.
Animals ; Fibrosarcoma* ; Fluorouracil ; Humans ; Kinetics ; Lung ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Mice ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Rats ; Sarcoma ; Stomach Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of mediastinoscopy and CT in the preoperative nodal evaluation in patients with T1 lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between November 1994 and July 1996, 125 patients underwent thoracotomy and/or mediastinoscopy for surgical treatment of lung cancer. Among them, 35 patients had T1 lung cancer(peripheral lung cancer less than 3cm in diameter) on CT. One patient finally proved to have T4 lung cancer with pleural seeding at thoracotomy. In the remaining 34 patients, pathologic evaluation of mediastinal lymph nodemetastasis was feasible and the results were correlated with CT findings. On CT, nodes larger than 10mm in short-axis diameter were regarded as abnormal. RESULTS: The patients had adenocarcinoma in 12, squamous cellcarcinoma in 11, bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) in 10, and large cell carcinoma in one. Fifteen among total 478 sampled lymph nodes contained malignant tumor. Six (three with adenocarcinoma, two with squamous cell carcinoma, and one with large cell carcinoma) of 34 patients (18%) had nodal metastasis. With 112 sampled nodes, BAC did not show any nodal metastasis. Sensitivity and specificity of CT for nodal detection were 0% and 100% for2R, 0% and 100% for 4R, 100% and 97 % for 5, 50% and 100% for 7 and 0% and 100% for 10R, respectively. CONCLUSION: T1 lung cancer shows relatively high (18%) prevalence of mediastinal lymph node metastasis. Because small nodesless than 10mm in diameter contain malignancy and CT is insensitive in detection of metastatic nodes,mediastinoscopy is still needed for preoperative nodal evaluation except BAC.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar ; Carcinoma, Large Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Diagnosis* ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Lymph Nodes ; Mediastinoscopy* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prevalence ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thoracotomy

We examined 216 Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from chickens and environmental specimens from hatcheries between 2005 and 2006 in order to evaluate the epidemiological prevalence of avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) in Korea tentatively by multiplex PCR. The multiplex PCR which was used as tentative criteria of APEC targets 8 virulence-associated genes; enteroaggregative toxin (astA), increased serum survival protein (iss), iron-repressible protein (irp2), P fimbriae (papC), aerobactin (iucD), temperature-sensitive hemagglutinin (tsh), vacuolating autotransporter toxin (vat), and colicin V plasmid operon (cva/cvi) genes. The number of detected genes could be used as a reliable index of their virulence. It was demonstrated that E. coli strains already typed as APEC always harbor 5 to 8 genes, but non-APEC strains harbor less than 4 genes. Assuming the criteria of APEC is a possession of more than 5 virulenceassociated genes, we discriminated 24 APEC strains among the 216 E. coli strains. Contamination rates of APEC in the field were 31.3% in layers, 14.0% in broilers, 2.7% in broiler breeders, and 0.0% in environmental specimens from hatcheries. The combinational tendency of APEC examined is a fundamental possession of astA, iss and iucD genes and addition of cva/cvi, tsh, vat, and irp2 genes which have a critical importance for virulent traits of APEC. Compared with intravenous chicken challenge or embryo lethality assay, multiplex PCR method could be useful to discriminate APEC rapidly for convenient diagnosis.
Chickens ; Colicins ; Embryonic Structures ; Escherichia ; Escherichia coli ; Hemagglutinins ; Hydroxamic Acids ; Korea ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Operon ; Plasmids ; Prevalence

Glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) stimulates glucose-dependent insulin secretion. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, which block inactivation of GLP-1, are currently in clinical use for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Recently, GLP-1 has also been reported to have neuroprotective effects in cases of cerebral ischemia. We therefore investigated the neuroprotective effects of GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist, exendin-4 (ex-4), after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) was induced in rats by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of ex-4 or ex9-39. Oxygen-glucose deprivation was also induced in primary neurons, bEnd.3 cells, and BV-2. Ischemia-reperfusion injury reduced expression of GLP-1R. Additionally, higher oxidative stress in SOD2 KO mice decreased expression of GLP-1R. Downregulation of GLP-1R by ischemic injury was 70% restored by GLP-1R agonist, ex-4, which resulted in significant reduction of infarct volume. Levels of intracellular cyclic AMP, a second messenger of GLP-1R, were also increased by 2.7-fold as a result of high GLP-1R expression. Moreover, our results showed that ex-4 attenuated pro-inflammatory cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and prostaglandin E₂ after MCAO. C-Jun NH₂ terminal kinase (JNK) signaling, which stimulates activation of COX-2, was 36% inhibited by i.c.v. injection of ex-4 at 24 h. Islet-brain 1 (IB1), a scaffold regulator of JNK, was 1.7-fold increased by ex-4. GLP-1R activation by ex-4 resulted in reduction of COX-2 through increasing IB1 expression, resulting in anti-inflammatory neuroprotection during stroke. Our study suggests that the anti-inflammatory action of GLP-1 could be used as a new strategy for the treatment of neuroinflammation after stroke accompanied by hyperglycemia.
Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; Cyclic AMP ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Down-Regulation ; Glucagon* ; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 ; Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor ; Hyperglycemia ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; Insulin ; Mice ; Neurons ; Neuroprotection ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Oxidative Stress ; Phosphotransferases ; Rats ; Reperfusion Injury ; Second Messenger Systems ; Stroke*

Skeletal muscle atrophy is a common phenomenon during the prolonged muscle disuse caused by cast immobilization, extended aging states, bed rest, space flight, or other factors. However, the cellular mechanisms of the atrophic process are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in the expression of muscle-specific RING finger 1 (MuRF1) during atrophy of the rat gastrocnemius muscle. Histological analysis revealed that cast immobilization induced the atrophy of the gastrocnemius muscle, with diminution of muscle weight and cross-sectional area after 14 days. Cast immobilization significantly elevated the expression of MuRF1 and the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. The starvation of L6 rat skeletal myoblasts under serum-free conditions induced the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and the characteristics typical of cast-immobilized gastrocnemius muscle. The expression of MuRF1 was also elevated in serum-starved L6 myoblasts, but was significantly attenuated by SB203580, an inhibitor of p38 MAPK. Changes in the sizes of L6 myoblasts in response to starvation were also reversed by their transfection with MuRF1 small interfering RNA or treatment with SB203580. From these results, we suggest that the expression of MuRF1 in cast-immobilized atrophy is regulated by p38 MAPK in rat gastrocnemius muscles.
Aging ; Animals ; Atrophy ; Bed Rest ; Fingers ; Imidazoles ; Immobilization ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscles ; Myoblasts ; Myoblasts, Skeletal ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; Phosphorylation ; Protein Kinases ; Pyridines ; Rats ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Space Flight ; Starvation ; Transfection

The so-called racemose cysticercosis, a rare variety of neurocysticercosis occurring in ventricles or basal cisterns, is characterized by abnormal growth of cystic membranes with degeneration of Taenia solium heads (scolex). Although lesions of this type are known to follow a progressive course even after ventricular shunting, there are limitations of case series treated with antiparasitic drugs, and the optimal duration of the treatment is not yet known. We report a case of relapsed racemose cysticercosis in the Sylvian fissure, who has been successfully treated with albendazole and adjunct corticosteroid for 4 weeks. The patient had been previously treated with praziquantel and ventriculoperitoneal shunt, and maintained on the anticonvulsant drug for one year, but returned to the hospital due to seizure recurrence. The patient has been well in seizure-free state for the follow-up 2 years after albendazole therapy. The subarachnoid racemose cysticercosis seems to respond well to treatment of corticosteroid along with prolonged albendazole.
Albendazole* ; Antiparasitic Agents ; Cysticercosis* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Humans ; Membranes ; Neurocysticercosis ; Praziquantel ; Recurrence ; Seizures ; Taenia solium ; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt

The so-called racemose cysticercosis, a rare variety of neurocysticercosis occurring in ventricles or basal cisterns, is characterized by abnormal growth of cystic membranes with degeneration of Taenia solium heads (scolex). Although lesions of this type are known to follow a progressive course even after ventricular shunting, there are limitations of case series treated with antiparasitic drugs, and the optimal duration of the treatment is not yet known. We report a case of relapsed racemose cysticercosis in the Sylvian fissure, who has been successfully treated with albendazole and adjunct corticosteroid for 4 weeks. The patient had been previously treated with praziquantel and ventriculoperitoneal shunt, and maintained on the anticonvulsant drug for one year, but returned to the hospital due to seizure recurrence. The patient has been well in seizure-free state for the follow-up 2 years after albendazole therapy. The subarachnoid racemose cysticercosis seems to respond well to treatment of corticosteroid along with prolonged albendazole.
Albendazole* ; Antiparasitic Agents ; Cysticercosis* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Humans ; Membranes ; Neurocysticercosis ; Praziquantel ; Recurrence ; Seizures ; Taenia solium ; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt