BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori-induced destruction of the gastroduodenal mucosal barrier is initiated with mucosal infiltration of inflammatory cells. Cytokines and chemokines have been suggested to play important roles in the migration and activation of these inflammatory cells into the mucosa. The present study aimed to investigate expression rates of cyto-chemokine mRNAs using gastric mucosal biopsy specimens. METHODS: In 98 patients infected with Helicobacter pylori, mucosal mRNA expression rates of cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-10), C-C chemokines (macrophage inflammatory protein 1alpha [MIP-1alpha], and macrophage inflammatory protein 1beta [MIP-1beta], monocyte chemotactic and activating factor [MCAF], regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and presumably secreted [RANTES]) and C-X-C chemokines (IL-8 and growth regulated alpha [GRO-alpha]) were examined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: The expression rates of mRNA for IL-8, GRO-alpha, MIP-1alpha and RANTES were significantly more increased in H. pylori-positive patients than in H. pylori- negative patients. However, the expressions of IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-10 mRNA were statistically not different between two groups. After eradication of H. pylori, expressions of mRNA for three cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-10), four C-C chemokines (MIP-1alpha, MIP-1beta, MCAF and RANTES) and two C-X-C chemokines (IL-8 and GRO-alpha) were significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that C-X-C chemokines and some C-C chemokines play important roles in H. pylori-associated peptic ulcer diseases.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Chemokines, CC/metabolism ; Chemokines, CXC/metabolism ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Cytokines/*metabolism ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa/*immunology/metabolism ; Helicobacter Infections/*immunology/metabolism ; *Helicobacter pylori ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Prospective Studies ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism

Pancreatic pseudocysts are a well-recognized complication of pancreatitis. Most occur in or adjacent to the pancreas. Occasionally, duodenal involvement may occur due to the nonperitonealized posterior surface of the duodenum is in direct contact with the head of the pancreas. But there is little awareness of the intramural and major extrinsic involvement of the duodenum with also occurs. A case was recently experienced involving an intramural pancreatic pseudocyst of the duodenum.
Duodenum* ; Head ; Pancreas ; Pancreatic Pseudocyst* ; Pancreatitis

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to review an implementation of u-Severance information system with focus on electronic hospital records (EHR) and to suggest future improvements. METHODS: Clinical Data Repository (CDR) of u-Severance involved implementing electronic medical records (EMR) as the basis of EHR and the management of individual health records. EHR were implemented with service enhancements extending to the clinical decision support system (CDSS) and expanding the knowledge base for research with a repository for clinical data and medical care information. RESULTS: The EMR system of Yonsei University Health Systems (YUHS) consists of HP integrity superdome servers using MS SQL as a database management system and MS Windows as its operating system. CONCLUSIONS: YUHS is a high-performing medical institution with regards to efficient management and customer satisfaction; however, after 5 years of implementation of u-Severance system, several limitations with regards to expandability and security have been identified.
Database Management Systems ; Electronic Health Records ; Electronics ; Electrons ; Hospital Records ; Information Systems ; Knowledge Bases

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the neural activity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients is different from that of normal individuals when performing aesthetic judgments. METHODS: We recruited typical ASD patients without savant skills (ASD group, n=17) and healthy controls (HC group, n=19) for an functional magnetic resonance imaging study. All subjects were scanned while performing aesthetic judgment tasks on two kinds of artwork (magnificent landscape images and fractal images). Differences in brain activation between the two groups were assessed by contrasting neural activity during the tasks. RESULTS: The aesthetic judgment score for all images was significantly lower in the ASD group than in the HC group. During the aesthetic judgment tasks, the ASD group showed less activation than the HC group in the anterior region of the superior frontal gyrus, and more activation in the temporoparietal area and insula, regardless of the type of images being judged. In addition, during the aesthetic judgment task for the fractal images, the ASD group exhibited greater neural activity in the amygdala and the posterior region of the middle/inferior temporal gyrus (Brodmann area 37) than the HC group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the brain activation patterns associated with aesthetic experiences in ASD patients may differ from those of normal individuals.
Amygdala ; Autism Spectrum Disorder* ; Autistic Disorder* ; Beauty* ; Brain ; Fractals ; Humans ; Judgment ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Temporal Lobe