No abstract available.
Animals* ; Leptospirosis*

No abstract available.
Animals* ; Leptospirosis*

C-fos protein is a gene regulatory third messenger involved in long-term responses of cells to various stimuli. Kainic acid(KA), a powerful excitatory analogue, induces seizures and damages the hippocampus and other limbic regions in rats. KA treatment induces c-fos protein production in the hippocampus. This study was undertaken to investigate the expression of c-fos protein in the hippocampus according to seizure stage induced by systemic injection of KA. Twenty-three adult male Sprague-Dawley rats experienced convulsions by a single intraperitoneal injection of convulsive dose (20-40 mg/Kg) of KA. Seven control rats received normal saline. Animals were sacrificed 3 hr after KA treatment. The expression of c-fos protein was tested in the hippocampus by immunohistochemical staining using polyclonal anti-Fos. Most of the rats exhibited limbic motor epileptic activity. C-fos protein immunoreactivity increased in the CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus at stage 1-2, and not only in the CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus but also in the CA4 at stage 3-4. At stage 5, c-fos protein immunoreactivity increased in all areas of the hippocampus. C-fos protein immunoreactivity increased progressively with increasing severity of convulsions. These results show that KA produces limbic motor seizure associated with a rise in the c-fos protein in the hippocampus, and that the expression of c-fos protein may has some relevance to the progressive and permanent brain changes occurring during epilepsy.
Adult ; Animals ; Brain ; Dentate Gyrus ; Epilepsy ; Genes, vif ; Hippocampus* ; Humans ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Male ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seizures*

No abstract available.

Odontogenic infections are a normally locally confined, self-limiting process that is easily treated by antibiotic therapy and local surgical treatment. However, it may spread into the surrounding tissues through a perforation of the bone, and into contiguous fascial spaces or planes like the primary or secondary fascial spaces. If the infection extends widely, it may spread into the lateral pharyngeal and retropharyngeal space. The retropharyngeal space is located posterior to the pharynx. If an odontogenic infection spreads into this space, severe life-threatening complications will occur, such as airway obstruction, mediastinitis, pericarditis, pleurisy, pulmonary abscess, aspiration pneumonia and hematogenous dissemination to the distant organs. The mortality rate of mediastinitis ranges from 35% to 50%. Therefore, a rapid evaluation and treatment are essential for treating retropharyngeal space abscesses and preventing severe complications. Recently, we encountered two cases of a retropharyngeal space abscess due to the spread of an odontogenic infection. In all patients, early diagnosis was performed by computed tomography scanning and a physical examination. All patients were treated successfully by extensive surgical and antibiotic therapy.
Abscess ; Airway Obstruction ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Lung Abscess ; Mediastinitis ; Pericarditis ; Pharynx ; Physical Examination ; Pleurisy ; Pneumonia, Aspiration

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the cross-sectional area (CSA) and the moment arm length (MAL) of the paraspinal muscles in the degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis patients compared to the matched control patients, which is through contribution to the stability of the back. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied a comprised of 25 degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis on L4/5 patients and a controlled group with 42 chronic lower back pain patients. In both groups, we measured body mass index (BMI, kg/m2). On the standing lateral radiographs, we measured the total lumbar lordosis, and segmental lumbar lorodosis using Cobb's methods. We measured the degree of slippage by Meyerding classification. The CSA of erector spinae (CSA) and CSA of psoas were measured at the L4/5 level by using the MRI. The statistical analysis were performed to know the relationship between the CSA and the MAL of erector spinae, and the BMI. Multifidus and erector spinae atrophy were evaluated at the L4/5 level and the degree of fatty atrophy was estimated using three grades : mild, moderate, and severe. RESULTS: The patient group and the controlled group BMI (kg/m2) were 25.27+/-3.8 and 24.47+/-3.24. In patient group, Meyerding classification grade I was 92%. Total lumbar lordosis and each segmental lordosis were measured mean angle 44.54degrees(24.9degrees~70.4degrees), and each 9.23degrees(L3/4), 10.27degrees(L4/5), 18.81degrees(L5/S1). Pearson's rho indicated a positive association between the CSA and BMI (rho=0.603, p= 0.001), between the CSA of psoas and BMI (rho=0.445, p=0.026), and between the CSA and MAL (rho=0.627, p=0.001) in the degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis patients. In terms of the CSA versus MAL, there was a positive association in the both groups (rho=0.627, p=0.001, MAL=0.0008 CSA+/-5.293 in the degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis group; rho=0.812, p=0.000, MAL=0.001 CSA+/-5.245 in the control group with using linear regression analysis). Independent t-test revealed that both groups had statistically different mean values (p=0.038) in terms of the CSA. Proportion of fat deposits in the multifidus and erector spinae muscle at the L3/4 level were all mild grades. CONCLUSION: The patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis had atrophied erector spinal muscles, which means harmful because of the poor compensation for the lower back load and poor assists to the lumbar stability. This suggests that the biomechanical factor of the muscles influence to the lumbar disability.
Animals ; Arm ; Atrophy ; Body Mass Index ; Compensation and Redress ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Lordosis ; Low Back Pain ; Muscles ; Spondylolisthesis

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a primary myocardial disease characterized by ventricular dilatation and impaired ventricular contractility. It is not a rare disease and the age-adjusted prevalence in the United States is 36 cases per 100,000 population. The etiology of dilated cardiomyopathy has not been known yet, but toxin such as alcohol, thiamine deficiency, endocrine disorder, viral or bacterial infection, hereditary disorder, muscular dystrophy may be related to dilated cardiomyopathy. Familial dilated cardiomyopathy has been considered to be a rare disorder. But in recent study, dilated cardiomyopathy is found to be familial in at least 20%, a considerably higher prevalence than the previous reports. The mode of inheritance in most cases appears to be autosomal dominant, but there are reports of autosomal recessive, X-linked recessive, and mitochondrial inheritance. With molecular genetic technology, genomic abnormality responsible for familial dilated cardiomyopathy is being identified. The detection of responsible geneallows the determination of the gene-carrier status. We report a family with dilated cardiomyopathy, where two patients died suddenly, one patient has symptomatic heart failure, and another two family members have asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction, identified by echocardiogram.
Bacterial Infections ; Cardiomyopathies ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Dilatation ; Genes, Mitochondrial ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Molecular Biology ; Muscular Dystrophies ; Prevalence ; Rare Diseases ; Thiamine Deficiency ; United States ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; Wills

To evaluate the effect and mechanism of hypercholesterolemia on the sequence of changes involved in apoptosis, which counteract proliferation due to the restenosis process after vascular injury. Iliac arteries of hypercholesterolemic (HC) and normocholesterolemic (NC) rabbits were examined 1, 3, 7 & 14 days after balloon injury (N = 5 to 7 animals on each occasion) using TUNEL, immunohistochemical staining of PCNA, macrophages, smooth muscle actin and p53. In media immediately after injury, apoptosis occurred comprehensively and then decreased. HC did not affect this early post-injury apoptosis but significantly (p<0.01) increased apoptosis 14 days later (D14). Immediate apoptosis in media was followed by active proliferation. HC sustained a high activity of proliferation until D14 (p<0.01). The changes of immunoreactivity caused by p53 over the same 14 day period parallels that of apoptosis. In intima, where cells were scarce initially, proliferative activity reached a peak at D7 and then decreased. HC significantly (p<0.05) enhanced proliferation at D14. In intima proliferation was accompanied by a later lower level apoptosis. HC significantly (p<0.05) enhanced this lower level stage of apoptosis at D14. These effects of HC on apoptosis and proliferation result in significantly increased areas of intima and media (p<0.01). The fundamental difference between HC & NC was the infiltration of macrophages in HC, which were colocalized with apoptosis and proliferation activities. In conclusion, balloon injury induces early massive p53-associated apoptosis followed by proliferation in media, whereas in intima, it induces active proliferation followed by a lower activity apoptosis. Hypercholesterolemia does not affect the early post-injury apoptosis but enhances proliferation and lower level apoptosis at a later stage, which in turn results in intimal and medial hyperplasia.
Actins ; Animals ; Apoptosis* ; Hypercholesterolemia* ; Hyperplasia ; Iliac Artery* ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Macrophages ; Muscle, Smooth ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Rabbits ; Vascular System Injuries

BACKGROUND: Assessing public knowledge concerning stroke and its risk factors is the starting point in developing the effective stroke prevention program. The aim of this study was to investigate the awareness of stroke risk factors and factors influencing it. METHODS: All who participated in the second stroke prevention campaign were encouraged to answer the survey. It was performed using a standard questionnaire designed to assess the awareness of stroke risk factors, its correlation with usual demographic characteristics, history of stroke, and self-assessment of stroke risk. The number of established risk factors on an open question estimated the awareness of stroke risk factors. RESULTS: Nationwide 4065 persons took part in the campaign and 43% of them (1749) responded the survey (age=65.4+/-12.2, male=34.2%). A total of 986 responders (56.4%) correctly listed at least one of the established stroke risk factors to open question. Age and schooling were the significant predictors for listing at least one of the established stroke risk factors on multivariate analysis. Number of classic risk factors of stroke in each subject was significantly correlated with self-assessment of stroke risk. Most of the individual risk factors of stroke were also correlated with self-assess-ment of stroke risk but smoking and old age (65 years or more) were not. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the level of stroke risk awareness in Korea is not high, especially among the elderly and the lowly educated. The systematic public education program is warranted.
Aged ; Education ; Humans ; Korea* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Risk Factors ; Self-Assessment ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stroke*

PURPOSE: we often find variable degrees of FDG uptake and patterns in stomach, which can make difficult to distinguish physiologic uptake from pathologic uptake on FDG PET. The purpose of this study was to find out the significant findings of stomach on FDG PET. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight patients who underwent both FDG PET and endoscopy within one week from Jun. 2003, to Aug. 2004 were included in this study. We reviewed 38 patients (18 for medical check up, 15 for work up of other malignancies, and 5 for the evaluation of stomach lesion). Their mean age was 56 years old (range: 32~79), men and women were 28 and 10, respectively. Two nuclear physicians evaluated five parameters on FDG PET findings of stomach with a consensus: 1) visual grades 2) maximum SUV (max.SUV) 3) focal 4) diffuse and 5) asymmetric patterns. We correlated the lesions of FDG PET findings of stomach with those of endoscopy. We considered more than equivocal findings on FDG PET as positive. RESULTS: The six of 38 patients were proven as malignant lesions by endoscopic biopsy and others were inflammatory lesions (ulcer in 3, chronic atrophic gastritis in 12, uncommon forms of gastritis in 5), non-inflammatory lesions (n=3), and normal stomach (n=9). By the visual analysis, malignant lesions had higher FDG uptake than the others. The max.SUV of malignant lesions was 7.95 4.83 which was significantly higher than the other benign lesions (2.9 0.69 in ulcer, 3.08 1.2 in chronic atrophic gastritis, 3.2 1.49 in uncommon forms of gastritis (p=0.044) ). In the appearance of stomach on FDG PET, malignant lesions were shown focal (5 of 6) and benign inflammatory lesions were shown diffuse (9 of 20) and asymmetric (14 of 20). Benign lesions and normal stomach were shown variable degrees of uptake and patterns. Some cases of benign inflammatory lesions such as ulcer and gastritis were shown focal and mimicked cancerous lesion (4 of 15). CONCLUSION: Gastric malignant lesions had higher FDG uptake and focal pattern. However, benign inflammatory lesions had moderate degrees of uptake and diffuse and asymmetric patterns rather than focal. It is difficult to differentiate between benign lesions including normal.
Biopsy ; Consensus ; Electrons* ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Gastritis ; Gastritis, Atrophic ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Positron-Emission Tomography* ; Stomach* ; Ulcer