No abstract available.
Chest Pain* ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Thorax*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility of the interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) as a supplementary diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of genitourinary tuberculosis (GUTB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-seven patients who were tested with the IGRA to diagnose GUTB were included. All patients had clinical or radiologic features suspicious for GUTB. Signs and symptoms included chronic dysuria with long-standing sterile pyuria, renal calcification with distorted renal calyces and contracted renal pelvis, and chronic epididymitis. Patients who had a history of tuberculosis in other organs were excluded. Tests including IGRA, urine acid-fast bacilli (AFB) stain and culture, urine tuberculosis polymerase chain reaction (UT-PCR), and radiological examinations were performed to confirm GUTB. The medical records of the patients were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The IGRA result was positive in 30 patients (52.6%). The results of the urine AFB stain and culture were positive in 5 patients (8.8%) and 7 patients (12.2%), respectively. The results of UT-PCR were positive in 9 patients (15.8%). The 7 patients who showed positive results in the urine AFB stain and culture also had positive results on the IGRA. A UT-PCR-negative patient was diagnosed with GUTB by positive results on both the IGRA and AFB stain and culture. CONCLUSIONS: The IGRA might feasibly be used as a supplementary or screening tool for the diagnosis of GUTB in addition to urine AFB stain and culture. Further studies for statistical evaluation of its sensitivity, specificity, and efficacy are needed.
Contracts ; Dysuria ; Epididymitis ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; Interferon-gamma Release Tests ; Kidney Pelvis ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pyuria ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Urogenital

PURPOSE: This study aimed to improve prostate biopsy compliance by analyzing the factors that influence the acceptance of prostate biopsy by patients to whom transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy is recommended for suspected prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects of this study were 268 patients to whom TRUS-guided prostate biopsy was recommended from January to June 2011 and who completed a questionnaire. Patients who showed a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) increase to more than 4.0 ng/mL or abnormal findings on a digital rectal examination and TRUS were recommended to undergo prostate biopsy. The questionnaire consisted of 9 questions about the subjects' demographic characteristics and 15 questions that assessed their knowledge of prostate disease. Fisher exact probability test was conducted to assess the influence of the demographic characteristics and levels of knowledge of prostate disease on acceptance of prostate biopsy. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 66.2 years (range, 43-83 years). Of the cohort, 188 patients (70.7%) agreed to the prostate biopsy and 78 patients (29.3%) refused. In terms of demographic characteristics, the patients' acceptance of prostate biopsy was associated only with education level. Patients with relatively lower education levels had a higher acceptance rate for prostate biopsy (80.0% vs. 65.9%, p=0.018). Other demographic factors, as well as the degree of knowledge of prostate disease, had no significant effect on the acceptance rate. CONCLUSIONS: The patients' acceptance of prostate biopsy can be influenced by demographic characteristics, especially education level. Therefore, when prostate biopsy is recommended to patients, their demographic characteristics should be taken into consideration.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biopsy, Needle/methods/psychology ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Kallikreins/blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Patient Acceptance of Health Care ; Prospective Studies ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/blood ; Prostatic Neoplasms/*pathology/psychology/ultrasonography ; Republic of Korea ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Ultrasonography, Interventional

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer related death. Alterations in gene sequence, structure, and expression have an important role in the pathogenesis of lung cancer. Fusion genes and alternative splicing of cancer-related genes have the potential to be oncogenic. In the current study, we performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) to investigate potential fusion genes and alternative splicing in non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: RNA was isolated from lung tissues obtained from 86 subjects with lung cancer. The RNA samples from lung cancer and normal tissues were processed with RNA-seq using the HiSeq 2000 system. Fusion genes were evaluated using Defuse and ChimeraScan. Candidate fusion transcripts were validated by Sanger sequencing. Alternative splicing was analyzed using multivariate analysis of transcript sequencing and validated using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: RNA-seq data identified oncogenic fusion genes EML4-ALK and SLC34A2-ROS1 in three of 86 normal-cancer paired samples. Nine distinct fusion transcripts were selected using DeFuse and ChimeraScan; of which, four fusion transcripts were validated by Sanger sequencing. In 33 squamous cell carcinoma, 29 tumor specific skipped exon events and six mutually exclusive exon events were identified. ITGB4 and PYCR1 were top genes that showed significant tumor specific splice variants. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, RNA-seq data identified novel potential fusion transcripts and splice variants. Further evaluation of their functional significance in the pathogenesis of lung cancer is required.
Alternative Splicing* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Exons ; Gene Fusion ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Multivariate Analysis ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA* ; Sequence Analysis ; Sequence Analysis, RNA*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings for children with cerebral palsy (CP) and the severity of their developmental disability. METHOD: MRI and M nchener Funktionelle Entwicklungs Diagnostik (MFED) were used for the evaluation of 52 children with CP. MFED quotient (MFED age/corrected age 100) was compared to the MRI findings. RESULTS: Of the 52 MRIs, no abnormalities were found in 7 cases (13%), periventricular leukomalacias (PVLs) in 37 cases (71.2%), corpus callosum abnormalities in 33 cases (63.5%), delayed myelinations in 8 cases (15.4%), congenital brain abnormalities in 6 cases (11.5%), and central sulcus abnormalities in 3 cases (5.8%). Among 27 patients who were born preterm, the major MRI finding was PVL (100%), indicative of a hypoxic brain injury. All patients with a normal MRI were born at term. There were significant correlations between the MFED quotient and the severity of PVL. The ratio of corpus callosum length/brain anteroposterior diameter was correlated with a developmental disability. CONCLUSION: MRI findings for the patients with CP are well correlated with the developmental disabilities and the timing of brain insult.
Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Cerebral Palsy* ; Child ; Corpus Callosum ; Developmental Disabilities* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Leukomalacia, Periventricular ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Myelin Sheath

Purpose: To compare improvement of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia in diabetic versus nondiabetic patients after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) or holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP). Methods: The medical records of 437 patients who underwent TURP or HoLEP at a tertiary referral center from January 2006 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 71 patients had type 2 diabetes. Patients in the diabetic mellitus (DM) and non-DM groups were matched 1:1 according to age, baseline International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and ultrasound measured prostate volume. Changes in LUTS were assessed at 3 months after surgery using IPSS and evaluated by categorizing patients according to prostatic urethral angulation (PUA; <50° vs. ≥50°). Medication-free survival after surgery was also investigated. Results: No significant differences were noted between the DM and non-DM groups in baseline characteristics except for comorbidities (i.e., hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, and ischemic heart disease, P=0.021, P=0.002, and P=0.017, respectively) and postvoid residual urine volume (115±98 mL vs. 76±105 mL, P=0.028). Non-DM patients showed significant symptomatic improvement regardless of PUA, while DM patients demonstrated improvement in obstructive symptoms only in those with large PUA (≥51°). Among patients with small PUA, DM patients had worse medication-free survival after surgery compared to controls (P=0.044) and DM was an independent predictor of medication reuse (hazard ratio, 1.422; 95% confidence interval, 1.285–2.373; P=0.038). Conclusions DM patients experienced symptomatic improvement after surgery only in those with large PUA. Among patients with small PUA, DM patients were more likely to reuse medication after surgery.

The purpose of this study was to confirm the exactitude of in vitro nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMRS) and to complement the defect of in vivo NMRS. It has been difficult to understand the metabolism of a cerebellum using in vivo NMRS owing to the generated inhomogeneity of magnetic fields (B0 and B1 field) by the complexity of the cerebellum structure. Thus, this study tried to more exactly analyze the metabolism of a canine cerebellum using the cell extraction and high resolution NMRS. In order to conduct the absolute metabolic quantification in a canine cerebellum, the spectrum of our phantom included in various brain metabolites (i.e., NAA, Cr, Cho, Ins, Lac, GABA, Glu, Gln, Tau and Ala) was obtained. The canine cerebellum tissue was extracted using the methanol-chloroform water extraction (M/C extraction) and one group was filtered and the other group was not under extract processing. Finally, NMRS of a phantom solution and two extract solution (90% D2O) was progressed using a 500MHz (11.4 T) NMR machine. Filtering a solution of the tissue extract increased the signal to noise ratio (SNR). The metabolic concentrations of a canine cerebellum were more close to rat's metabolic concentration than human's metabolic concentration. The present study demonstrates the absolute quantification technique in vitro high resolution NMRS with tissue extraction as the method to accurately measure metabolite concentration.
Brain ; Cerebellum ; Complement System Proteins ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; Magnetic Fields ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Protons ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio ; Spectrum Analysis ; Water

We present a case of liposarcoma related with minimal change nephrotic syndrome. A 49-year-old woman was admitted due to generalized edema and a palpable mass at epigastric area. Her laboratory data were as follows : serum creatinine 0.6mg/dl, BUN 7mg/dl, serum total protein 3.6g/dl(albumin 0.6 g/dl) serum total cholesterol 299mg/dl, 24 hour-urine protein 5.1g. A CT scan of the abdomen revealed huge adult head sized mass(15X10X15cm) consisted with mixed pattern of well enhancing solid, cystic and fat portion which is located between the liver and the stomach. A kidney biopsy showed minimal change nephropathy. At explo-laparostomy the tumor was well differentiated liposarcoma. After operation and steroid therapy, her proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia were a little improved. And then radiation therapy(daily 180 cGy, 5 fx/wk, upto 5040cGy/28 fx/42 day) was done. Complete remission of liposarcoma was followed by regression of the nephrotic syndrome. After radiation therapy, her laboratory data were serum total protein 6.7g/dl (albumin 4.3g/dl), total cholesterol 170mg/dl, 24 hour-urine protein 0.3g. She has been maintained complete remission of the nephrotic syndrome by steroid maintenance dose.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Biopsy ; Cholesterol ; Creatinine ; Edema ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Kidney ; Liposarcoma* ; Liver ; Middle Aged ; Nephrosis, Lipoid* ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Proteinuria ; Stomach ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The serum levels of sICAM-1 were significantly higher in febrile & hypotensive (789+/-241ng/ml) stage than in diuretic stage (514+/-151ng/ml) and convalescence stage (410+/-88ng/ml) (P<0.01). Also the serum levels of sICAM-1 in oliguric (628+/-220ng/ml) stage higher than that of convalescence stage (P<0.01). The serum level of sICAM-1 was significantly high in convalescence stage of patients with HFRS compared to control (306+/-75ng/ml) (P<0.01). sICAM-1 levels correlated with platelet count (R=-0.35, P<0.05) in all stage of HFRS. Our results suggest that the enhanced immune activation is a common feature in early stage of HFRS.
Convalescence ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome* ; Humans ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1* ; Platelet Count

OBJECTIVE: Until now,no effective screening tools have been available for evaluating the neurotoxicity of organic solvents and metals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of posturography as a screening tool for the chronic neurotoxicity of organic solvents. METHOD: 36 workers in 4 septic tank manufacturers,who were exposed to styrene over a period of 1 year (exposed group),and 15 hospital volunteer manual workers were examined by posturography.The subjects' physical,medical,and occupational characteristics were obtained by means of a physical examination and a questionnaire. We excluded from both groups those persons who had psychiatric problems, diabetes, neurologic symptoms, gait disturbance,or a history of stroke.The sway area of the exposed group was compared to that of the non-exposed group using bivariate and multiple regression analysis. We controlled a number of variables including age, alcohol consumption,smoking, weight, height, and body mass index. RESULT: The sway area of the exposed group was found to be higher than that of the non-exposed group after taking into consideration the effects of other characteristics by means of multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSION: We concluded the posturography would be an effective tool for the screening of chronic neurotoxicity in workers exposed to styrene.
Body Mass Index ; Gait ; Hospital Volunteers ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Metals ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Physical Examination ; Questionnaires ; Solvents ; Styrene*