No abstract available.
Immunologic Tests* ; Tuberculosis, Meningeal*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the normal values of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and cerebrovascular reserve (CVR) in normal children to aged volunteers using Tc-99m HMPAO. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty four right-handed normal volunteers (20 males, 14 females, mean age 40.3+/-24.9 years, range 4 to 82 years) were underwent rest/acetazolamide (ACZ) brain SPECT using Tc-99m HMPAO and the sequential injection and subtraction method. rCBF was estimated on the basis of a semiquantitative approach by means of right/left ratio, region/cerebellum and region to whole brain ratios in frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes, basal ganglia, thalami, and cerebellum. CVR was measured by means of % perfusion increase calculated as % mean count change compared to rest rCBF in each regions. RESULTS: Mean values of right to left ratios range from 1.004 to 1.018. rCBF was highest in cerebellum and lowest in basal ganglia and thalami. Frontal and temporal rCBF decreased while occipital and thalamic rCBF increased according to age. No sexual difference of rCBF was noted. Mean CVR was 29.9+/-12.9%. Mean CVR significantly increased to late teens, and declined thereafter. After 6th decade, CVR in both frontal lobes, left parietal lobe and right basal ganglia decreased significantly with advancing age. There was no sexual difference of CVR. CONCLUSION:: Quantitative assessment of CVR was possible by ACZ Tc-99m HMPAO brain SPECT. It revealed that rCBF and CVR changed according to age in normal Korean volunteers. There was no sexual difference.
Acetazolamide ; Adolescent ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain* ; Cerebellum ; Child ; Female ; Frontal Lobe ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Male ; Occipital Lobe ; Parietal Lobe ; Perfusion ; Rabeprazole ; Reference Values ; Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon* ; Volunteers

It has long been known that lactoferrin prevents human beings from infection of virus. To prove this activity of lactoferrin, we evaluated the activities of different lactoferrins to an isolate human rotavirus K-21. Bovine lactoferrin inhibited infection of K-21 to MA-104 cell at the concentration of 25.9 microM whereas bovine hydrolysed lactoferrin prevented rotavirus infection at 103.8 microM. However human lactoferrin prevented infection of K-21 at the concentration of 217.5 microM. These data suggested that lactoferrin activity may be unaffected by the intestinal digestive enzymes and bovine lactoferrin is more active than human lactoferrin with respect to prevention of rotavirus infection.
Humans* ; Lactoferrin* ; Rotavirus Infections ; Rotavirus*

It has long been known that lactoferrin prevents human beings from infection of virus. To prove this activity of lactoferrin, we evaluated the activities of different lactoferrins to an isolate human rotavirus K-21. Bovine lactoferrin inhibited infection of K-21 to MA-104 cell at the concentration of 25.9 microM whereas bovine hydrolysed lactoferrin prevented rotavirus infection at 103.8 microM. However human lactoferrin prevented infection of K-21 at the concentration of 217.5 microM. These data suggested that lactoferrin activity may be unaffected by the intestinal digestive enzymes and bovine lactoferrin is more active than human lactoferrin with respect to prevention of rotavirus infection.
Humans* ; Lactoferrin* ; Rotavirus Infections ; Rotavirus*

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease involving multiple joints. The cervical spine is often affected, and cases involving atlantoaxial joint can lead to instability. Anterior atlantoaxial subluxation in RA patients can lead to posterior neck pain or occipital headache because of compression of the C2 ganglion or nerve. Here, we report the successful treatment of a RA patient with occipital radiating headache using pulsed radiofrequency therapy at the C2 dorsal root ganglion.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Atlanto-Axial Joint ; Ganglia, Spinal ; Ganglion Cysts ; Headache* ; Humans ; Joints ; Neck Pain ; Spine

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate whether the pattern of optic nerve enhancement in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help to differentiate between idiopathic optic neuritis (ON), neuromyelitis optica (NMO), and multiple sclerosis (MS) in unilateral ON. METHODS: An MRI of the brain and orbits was obtained in patients with acute unilateral ON. Patients with ON were divided into three groups: NMO, MS, and idiopathic ON. The length and location of the abnormal optic nerve enhancement were compared for ON eyes with and without NMO or MS. The correlation between the pattern of optic nerve enhancement and the outcome of visual function was analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 36 patients with ON who underwent an MRI within 2 weeks of the onset, 19 were diagnosed with idiopathic ON, 9 with NMO, and 8 with MS. Enhancement of the optic nerve occurred in 21 patients (58.3%) and was limited to the orbital segment in 12 patients. Neither the length nor the location of the optic nerve enhancement was significantly correlated with visual functions other than contrast sensitivity or the diagnosis of idiopathic ON, MS, or NMO. Patients with greater extent of optic nerve sheath enhancement and more posterior segment involvement showed higher contrast sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Our data revealed that the pattern of optic nerve enhancement was not associated with diagnosis of idiopathic ON, NMO, or MS in Korean patients with unilateral ON. We believe further studies that include different ethnic groups will lead to a more definitive answer on this subject.
Brain ; Contrast Sensitivity ; Diagnosis ; Ethnic Groups ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Neuromyelitis Optica ; Optic Nerve* ; Optic Neuritis* ; Orbit

BACKGROUND: Chronic paranasal sinusitis is one of the most common disease in the otorhinolaryngologic field. Endoscopic sinus surgery is treatment of choice in chronic paranasal sinusitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate objective and subjective treatment outcomes of endoscopic sinus surgery in adult chronic paranasal sinusitis with or without polyp. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 84 adult patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery by one surgeon from June 1999 to June 2000, prospectively. We analyzed preoperative and postoperative subjective symptom scores and acoustic rhinometric results. RESULTS: Fifty cases were male and thirty four cases female. The average age was of 33 year-old (range: 17 to 66 years). There was significantly improvement of symptom scores in postoperative 3 months and 6 months compared with preoperative symptom scores. There was significantly increased postoperative total volume of nasal cavity. When we compared high score group with low score group, there was statistically significant improvement of symptom scores between preoperative stage and postoperative 3 months in radiologic grading group. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic sinus surgery is considered to be effective for the treatment of chronic paranasal sinusitis. It seems to be helpful to employ subjective symptom score system and objective total volume change of nasal cavity through acoustic rhinometric test to analyze effectiveness of endoscopic sinus surgery. In this study, the most important preoperative factor of sinus surgery outcomes is radiologic grading system.
Acoustics* ; Adult* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nasal Cavity ; Polyps ; Prospective Studies ; Rhinometry, Acoustic ; Sinusitis*

BACKGROUND: Chronic paranasal sinusitis is one of the most common disease in the otorhinolaryngologic field. Endoscopic sinus surgery is treatment of choice in chronic paranasal sinusitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate objective and subjective treatment outcomes of endoscopic sinus surgery in adult chronic paranasal sinusitis with or without polyp. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 84 adult patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery by one surgeon from June 1999 to June 2000, prospectively. We analyzed preoperative and postoperative subjective symptom scores and acoustic rhinometric results. RESULTS: Fifty cases were male and thirty four cases female. The average age was of 33 year-old (range: 17 to 66 years). There was significantly improvement of symptom scores in postoperative 3 months and 6 months compared with preoperative symptom scores. There was significantly increased postoperative total volume of nasal cavity. When we compared high score group with low score group, there was statistically significant improvement of symptom scores between preoperative stage and postoperative 3 months in radiologic grading group. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic sinus surgery is considered to be effective for the treatment of chronic paranasal sinusitis. It seems to be helpful to employ subjective symptom score system and objective total volume change of nasal cavity through acoustic rhinometric test to analyze effectiveness of endoscopic sinus surgery. In this study, the most important preoperative factor of sinus surgery outcomes is radiologic grading system.
Acoustics* ; Adult* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nasal Cavity ; Polyps ; Prospective Studies ; Rhinometry, Acoustic ; Sinusitis*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Many authors recommend performing a second-look endoscopy (SLE) to reduce the frequency of delayed bleeding after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for gastric neoplasms, but these recommendations have been made despite a lack of reliable evidence supporting the effectiveness of SLE. METHODS: From January 2012 to May 2013, we investigated 441 gastric neoplasms treated by ESD to assess the risk factors for delayed bleeding. Delayed bleeding occurred in four of these lesions within 1 postoperation day. Therefore, we enrolled the patients with the remaining 437 lesions to determine the utility of SLE performed on the morning of postoperative day 2. All lesions were randomly assigned to SLE (220 lesions) groups or non-SLE (217 lesions) groups. RESULTS: Delayed bleeding occurred in 18 lesions (4.1%). A large tumor size (>20 mm) was the only independent risk factor for delayed bleeding (p=0.007). The chance of delayed bleeding was not significantly different between the patients receiving a SLE (eight cases) and those patients not receiving a SLE (six cases, p=0.787). Furthermore, SLE for lesions with a large tumor size did not significantly decrease delayed bleeding (p=0.670). CONCLUSIONS: SLE had little or no influence on the prevention of delayed bleeding, irrespective of the risk factors.
Aged ; Dissection/*adverse effects ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa/*surgery ; *Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Hemorrhage/*prevention & control ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; *Second-Look Surgery ; Single-Blind Method ; Stomach Neoplasms/complications/*surgery ; Time Factors

PURPOSE: Eosinophils are cells of the granulocyte lineage that participate in host defence against parasitic disease and mediate allergic inflammation. In this study by using the combination of cytokines IL-3, IL-5 and GM-CSF, we explore the characterization of cultured eosinophils from CD34+ CBCs. METHODS: Mononuclear cells were isolated heparinized umbilical cord blood by Ficoll-paque (1.077 g/ml) density gradient centrifugation method. The CD34-bearing hematopoietic progenitor cells were collected by elution after their adhesion to a magnetic cell sepatation (MACS) column. The CD34+ cells were incubated in RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and were cultured in the presence of IL-3, IL-5, and GM-CSF in a 6-well plate bottomed tissue culture plate at 37 degrees C for 7-28 days in humidified 5% CO2 and 95% air atmosphere. For the identification of cultured eosinophils Wright's and Giemsa staining, RT-PCR, Southern blotting and FACS analysis are used. RESULTS: We analyzed the cultured eosinophils Wright's and Giemsa staining, the total cell number of cells increased 50-fold by days 28 of culture. Also, using the sensitive RT-PCR technique, we monitered the appearance of mRNA transcrips of EPO. Identity of each RT-PCR product was confirms by southern blotting with independent gene-specific oligonucleotide probes and we found increasing of hybridization signals for EPO at 7th culture days. In addtion, we identified eosinophils in cultured CD34+ CBCs by flow cytometry. As s results, we succeeded in developing of pure eosinophils efficiently from CD34+ of CBCs in the presence of IL-3, IL-5 and GM-CSF. CONCLUSION: The in vitro growth of CD34+ CBCs may provide a useful system to study growth factor and stage-dependent adhesion molecule expression, as well as function on developing eosinophils.
Atmosphere ; Azure Stains ; Blotting, Southern ; Cell Count ; Centrifugation, Density Gradient ; Cytokines ; Eosinophils* ; Fetal Blood* ; Flow Cytometry ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Granulocytes ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Heparin ; Humans* ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-3* ; Interleukin-5* ; Oligonucleotide Probes ; Parasitic Diseases ; RNA, Messenger