Thirty-nine healthy pigs (28-32 days old) were purchased from a commercial swine farm and housed at swine pens of the College. The animals were vaccinated intramuscularly (1 ml) with an attenuated live hog cholera virus (HCV, LOM strain) and then boostered at 5 weeks after the first vaccination. The animals were divided into 4 experimental groups: 0.05% (w/w) PowerFeel-supplemented diet (T-1, n = 10); 3% (w/w) SuperFeed-supplemented diet (T-2, n = 10); diluted PowerFeel solution (1 : 500, v/v) as drinking water (T-3, n=9); control (n=10). PowerFeel is an original form of ionized alkali mineral complex (IAMC) and SuperFeed is a commercial product of IAMC. The subpopulation of lymphocyte in blood was assayed by a flow cytometry and HCV-specific antibody was determined by an indirect immunofluorescence assay. In IMAC-treated groups, the proportions of subpopulation expressing MHC-class II, CD2+, CD4+, CD8+, and surface IgM+ B lymphocytes were significantly decreased at 5-weeks after the first vaccination. Significant decreases were also observed in the proportions of MHC-class II, CD2+ and CD8+ lymphocyte at 3-weeks after the booster injection. The humoral immune responses in T-1 and T-2 groups were greater than those in T-3 or control group. These results suggest that IAMC-supplemented diets may have an HCV-specific immunostimulatory effect in pigs.
Animal Feed ; Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/*blood/isolation & purification ; Antigens, CD2/blood ; B-Lymphocytes/immunology ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology ; Classical Swine Fever/*immunology ; Classical swine fever virus/*immunology ; Dietary Supplements ; Ions ; Lymphocyte Subsets/*immunology ; *Minerals ; Swine ; Vaccines, Attenuated/*administration & dosage ; Viral Vaccines/*administration & dosage

Insulinoma is a rare tumor, occurring more often in women and in the older age range. Eighty percent of patients have a single benign tumor, usually 2 cm in diameter, located with about equal frequency in body, head or tail of pancreas and amenable to surgical cure. About 10% have multiple tumors. The remaining 10% of patients have metastatic malignant insulinoma. The symptom of insulinoma is characterized by the periodic attack of hypoglycemia of blood sugar level below 50mg%, by fasting or exertion, and rapid relief of symptom by oral or intravenous administration of glucose. Symptom often lead to misdiagnosis as a neurologic or psychiatric disorder. A case described by authors was 44-year old female with the chief complaints of the loss of consciousness, epileptic seizure although she has been treated by anticonvulsants. Serum blood sugar and insulin level during fasting suggested insulinoma but abdominal computed tomography shows no definitive mass in pancreas. Celiac angiography revealed insulinoma. She transferred to the department of General Surgery and was performed enucleation. Microscopic findings shows the islet cell tumor of pancreas. A brief review of the literature was made.
Adenoma, Islet Cell ; Administration, Intravenous ; Angiography ; Anticonvulsants ; Blood Glucose ; Diagnostic Errors ; Epilepsy ; Fasting ; Female ; Glucose ; Head ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia ; Insulin ; Insulinoma* ; Pancreas ; Tail ; Unconsciousness

Ovarian cysts in the newborn are uncormnon. Fetal ovarian cysts are being diagnosed with inaeasing fiequency with development of obstetrical sonography. Most of these cysts are found within the first few months of life and have no clinical significance. But, a large ovarian cyst would be founded antenatally with sonography. A large ovarian cyst can cause life-theatening complications during parturition and in the neonatal period. We have experienced a case of fetal ovarian cyst in a 32-year-old primiparous woman with antenatal sonography and report our experience with a brief review of literatures.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Ovarian Cysts* ; Parturition ; Ultrasonography

Purpose: Genu valgum in Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (LCPD) is not a known complication. We investigated whether this valgus tendency is a complication of femoral varus osteotomy (FVO) or the sequela of the disease process itself, and what are the related factors. Materials and Methods: 35 patients treated by FVO and 38 by abduction orthosis (AO) were selected for this study. Only those patients with unilateral involvement, fragmentation stage, Catterall Group III or IV, and who were followed-up to full skeletal maturity were included in the study. We measured mechanical axis deviation percentage and hip-knee-ankle angle for femorotibial alignment, and mechanical lateral distal femoral angle and medial proximal tibial angle (mMPTA) for knee orientation on teleoroentgenograms and compared the affected and normal limbs. Results: All measurements, excluding the mMPTA, demonstrated a tendency of relative genu valgum versus the opposite normal limbs. This tendency was observed in both groups. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion: Genu valgum occurred in 66% to 70% of the LCPD patients. Four factors were found to be significantly correlated with valgus shift: increased medial bowing of the femoral neck, decreased acetabulum head index, coxa magna, and limb shortening. Multivariate regression analysis identified limb shortening as the factor most responsible for valgus shift.
Acetabulum ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Extremities* ; Femur Neck ; Genu Valgum* ; Head ; Hip ; Humans ; Knee ; Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease* ; Orthotic Devices ; Osteotomy

PURPOSE: Proliferation of bile duct-like structures and fibrosis is a hepatic cellular reaction observed in most forms of human liver disease and in a variety of experimental conditions associated with liver injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the activation of Ito cells and bile duct proliferation in the rat after common bile duct ligation (CBDL). METHODS: Hepatic morphological abnormalities were examined in rats whose bile ducts had been irreversibly ligated for 15, 21, 24 and 28 days. The liver was examined by immunohistochemical staining for alpha-smooth muscle actin, the known marker of activated Ito cells, and light and electron microscopes. RESULTS: After CBDL, the bile canalicular proliferation and interstitial fibrosis were gradually increased in the periportal areas extended to hepatic sinusoids. Ito cells positive for alpha-smooth muscle actin were frequently observed in the periductular space and in perisinusoidal space of Disse. Ito cells and myofibroblasts were gradually increased in the interstitial fibrosis until the 28th day after CBDL. Ito cells and myofibroblasts had microfilaments with dense body at the periphery of the cell. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that Ito cells may be fibroblastic or myogenic. It has also been postulated that during the development of hepatic fibrosis, Ito cells become myofibroblasts or fibroblast like cells.
Actin Cytoskeleton ; Actins ; Animals ; Bile ; Bile Ducts ; Common Bile Duct* ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis* ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; Humans ; Ligation* ; Liver ; Liver Diseases ; Myofibroblasts ; Rats*

Abdominal pain associated with chronic pancreatitis is often difficult to control with analgesics and can be severely debilitating with significant impairment of quality of life. In these patients, neurolytic celiac plexus block (NCPB) is an effective treatment option with a low complication rate. However, there is a risk of ejaculatory failure after NCPB, which may be a problem in patients with a long life expectancy. We report a case of ejaculatory failure after unilateral NCPB in a patient with chronic pancreatitis.
Abdominal Pain ; Analgesics ; Celiac Plexus ; Humans ; Life Expectancy ; Pancreatitis, Chronic ; Quality of Life

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a rare, serious complication of assisted reproductive procedures for fertility treatment. Although most cases of OHSS are mild to moderate in nature, its severe form causes life-threatening complications including respiratory distress, renal failure, liver dysfunction, and thromboembolism because of hemoconcentration. We herein report a rare autopsy case of severe OHSS in a 29-year-old woman who underwent controlled ovulation induction. Three days after the administration of human chorionic gonadotropin, she developed abdominal pain and distension. Two days after, she suddenly developed respiratory arrest, hypotension and semicomatose mentality and died of respiratory failure. At autopsy, multifocal thromboembolism was detected in the internal carotid arteries, internal jugular veins, pulmonary arteries, inferior vena cava, renal arteries, and deep leg veins. And there were cerebral edema, anasarca, pleural effusion, massive pulmonary edema, ascites, and bilateral ovarian enlargement. Microscopically, the bilateral ovaries showed multiple well-developed cyst formations consisting of membrana granulosa and theca interna. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first autopsy report of severe OHSS with multifocal arterial and venous thromboembolism.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Ascites ; Autopsy ; Brain Edema ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; Edema ; Female ; Fertility ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Jugular Veins ; Leg ; Liver Diseases ; Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome ; Ovary ; Ovulation Induction ; Pleural Effusion ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Edema ; Renal Artery ; Renal Insufficiency ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Theca Cells ; Thromboembolism ; Veins ; Vena Cava, Inferior ; Venous Thromboembolism

BACKGROUND: The typical MRI features of hippocampal sclerosis (HS) are volume loss and increased T2 weighted signal intensity. Hippocampal volumetry and T2 relaxometry are useful quantitative methods for presurgical diagnosis of HS, especially in the cases of mild, bilateral or focal hippocampal atrophies. We investigated the value of a new quantitative method using FLAIR (Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery) MR images compared to those of visual inter-pretation and MR volumetry. METHODS: Forty-five patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and 21 under-went volumetric MRI (T1-weighted, SPGR, T2 weighted, and FLAIR images). All patients underwent anterior temporal lobectomy with amygdalohippocampectomy., where visual analysis and hippocampal volumetry were performed. The absolute and normalized values of hippocampal FLAIR signal intensity [hippocampal FLAIR intensity/superior frontal FLAIR intensity=Hippocampal-Frontal Signal Intensity Ratio (HFSR)] were obtained from both normal subjects and patients with TLE. RESULTS: The pathology of resected hippocampus showed HS in all patients. Visual interpretation of presurgical MRI failed to lateralize HS in 10 patients (22.2%). Among these 10 patients, the HS was lateralized by HFSR method in seven patients (70%) [Five (50%) by right-to-left difference of HFSR and the other two (20%) by analysis of a longitudinal regional curve of HFSR] while it was further lateralized by hippocampal volumetry in only three. CONCLUSIONS: In presurgical evaluation of patients with TLE, the hippocampal FLAIR signal analysis appeared to be complementary to visual interpretation and MR volumetry.
Anterior Temporal Lobectomy ; Atrophy ; Diagnosis ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe* ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pathology ; Sclerosis ; Temporal Lobe*

Priapism is a prolonged erection of the corpus cavernosum that is unaccompanied by sexual desire. It has been classified into 2 main groups: primary (idiopathic) or secondary. The common conditions associated with a secondary priapism include sickle cell anemia, trauma, leukemia, a cancerous invasion of the penis, drugs, alcohol ingestion, various venous thromboembolic diseases, intravenous fat for parenteral nutrition, and other less common disorders.1 A splenectomy has not been previously identified as a predisposing factor except for a report of 3 cases of priapism who underwent a splenectomy.2 We experienced a case of recurrent priapism following a splenectomy that developed in 30 years old man.
Adult ; Anemia, Sickle Cell ; Causality ; Eating ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Male ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Penis ; Priapism* ; Splenectomy*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of lower energy flux density (EFD) extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in the early stage of avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head. METHODS: Nineteen patients and 30 hips were enrolled. All subjects received 4 weekly sessions of ESWT, at different energy levels; group A (n=15; 1,000 shocks/session, EFD per shock 0.12 mJ/mm²) and group B (n=15; 1,000 shocks/session, EFD per shock 0.32 mJ/mm²). We measured pain by using the visual analog scale (VAS), and disability by using the Harris hip score, Hip dysfunction and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS), and the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). To determine the effect of the lower EFD ESWT, we assessed the VAS, Harris hip score, HOOS, WOMAC of the subjects before and at 1, 3, and 6 months. RESULTS: In both groups, the VAS, Harris hip score, HOOS, and WOMAC scores improved over time (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Lower EFD ESWT may be an effective method to improve the function and to relieve pain in the early stage of AVN.
Disability Evaluation ; Head* ; High-Energy Shock Waves ; Hip ; Humans ; Methods ; Necrosis* ; Ontario ; Osteoarthritis ; Shock* ; Treatment Outcome ; Visual Analog Scale