PURPOSE: We evaluated whether lipoic acid as antioxidant could inhibit expression of VEGF and STAT3 in experimental diabetic rat retina. METHODS: Diabetes was induced chemically by injection of streptozotocin in 12 rats of 18 Sprague-Dawley rats. After induction of diabetes, lipoic acid was injected into the peritonium in 6 rats. So all rats were divided into 3 groups, normal group (n=6), diabetes mellitus (DM) group (n=6), lipoic acid treated group (n=6). The ocular tissue of the rats were collected on 8 weeks after diabetes induction. Difference of VEGF and STAT3 expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, western blot. The change of VEGF and STAT3 in lipoic acid treated group were evaluated in these experimental model. RESULTS: The VEGF and STAT3 expression was elevated in diabetic rat retina. The active form STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3 was also elevated. The VEGF and STAT3 expression in lipoic acid treated group was lower than DM group. CONCLUSIONS: The lipoic acid could inhibit the VEGF and STAT3 expression in diabetic rat retina.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Immunohistochemistry ; Models, Theoretical ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Retina* ; Streptozocin ; Thioctic Acid* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

No abstract available.
Aneurysm* ; Atrial Appendage*

Primary cardiac tumors in infancy and childhood are rare, with fibromas being the second most common tumor after rhabdomyomas. Although cardiac fibromas are characteristically benign intramural tumors, they may exhibit expansile growth resulting in obstruction, valvular dysfunction, as well as other problems so early diagnosis and successful surgical excision are important. We experienced a case of cardiac fibroma in right ventricle that diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography, chest CT, open heart tissue biopsy etc.
Biopsy ; Early Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Fibroma* ; Heart ; Heart Neoplasms ; Heart Ventricles ; Rhabdomyoma ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Porcine ear necrosis syndrome is characterized by erosive and ulcerative lesions at the margin or tip of the pinna. Three growing pigs of different ages exhibited retarded growth accompanied by reddening and necrosis of ear prior to death. Gross examination showed reddening, swelling, black discoloration, scaling, and variable-sized yellowish materials and edema in ear cross section. Microscopically, thrombosis, abscess, ulceration, epidermal hyperplasia, and dermal pyogranulomatous inflammation with an intralesional bacterial colony were observed. Staphylococcus hyicus was isolated in all pigs' ears and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus was detected by PCR and immunohistochemistry.
Abscess ; Coinfection* ; Ear* ; Edema ; Hyperplasia ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inflammation ; Necrosis* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome* ; Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus* ; Staphylococcus hyicus ; Swine ; Thrombosis ; Ulcer

OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that overproduction of interleukin -18 (IL-18) may contribute to the pathogenesis of adult onset Still's disease (AOSD). Recently, positive association between a polymorphism in the IL-18 gene and different diseases like diabetes, sarcoidosis and asthma has been reported. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential association of two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at position -137 (G/C) and -607 (C/A) in the promoter region of the IL-18 gene with susceptibility and clinical feature of AOSD in the Korean population. METHODS: We examined two SNPs of IL-18 in 70 patients with AOSD and 204 healthy control individuals. The genotyping were performed using sequence specific PCR. Haplotypes were analyzed by the estimated haplotype program. The patients with AOSD were subdivided into groups according to disease course: monocyclic systemic, polycyclic systemic, and chronic articular type. RESULTS: As for the -607 genotypes, 13 of the 69 patients had CC genotype (18.8%), 36 the CA type (52.2%) and 20 the AA type (29.0%). AOSD patients had higher frequency of A allele at -607 when compared to controls (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.00~2.18, p=0.048). AOSD patients had significantly higher frequency of AA genotypes at -607 when compared to controls (AA vs CA& CC, OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.01~3.58, p=0.044). As for the -137 genotypes, of the 68 patients, 57 had GG genotype (83.8%), 9 the GC type (13.2%) and 2 (2.9%) had the CC type. No differences were found in allele and genotype frequencies between two groups. The haplotype frequencies of the IL-18 polymorphism were not significantly different between patients with AOSD and controls. The frequency of -137 GG genotype was significantly increased in chronic articular type compared to healthy control and systemic type of AOSD. CONCLUSION: In IL-18 gene polymorphisms, the A allele and AA genotye at position -607 might be genetic risk factors for the development of AOSD in Korean population. Further investigation in larger groups is required to provide more conclusive evidence regarding the role of the IL-18 gene polymorphism in AOSD.
Adult* ; Alleles ; Asthma ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Interleukin-18* ; Interleukins ; Korea* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Risk Factors ; Sarcoidosis ; Still's Disease, Adult-Onset*

PURPOSE: Sperm cryopreservation before cancer treatment is the most effective method to preserve the fertility of male patients. We present our 21 years experience with sperm cryopreservation for cancer patients, including an examination of semen quality, the current status of cryopreserved sperm, and the rate of sperm use for assisted reproductive technology (ART). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 721 cancer patients at Fertility Center of CHA Gangnam Medical Center successfully performed sperm cryopreservation for fertility preservation from January 1996 to December 2016. Medical chart review was used to analyze patient age, marital status, cancer type, semen volume, sperm counts and motility, length of storage, and current banking status. RESULTS: The major cancers of the 721 patients were leukemia (28.4%), lymphoma (18.3%), testis cancer (10.0%). The mean age at cryopreservation was 27.0 years, and 111 patients (15.4%) performed sperm cryopreservation during or after cancer treatment. The mean sperm concentration was 66.7±66.3 ×106/mL and the mean sperm motility was 33.8%±16.3%. During median follow-up duration of 75 months (range, 1–226 months), 44 patients (6.1%) used their banked sperm at our fertility center for ART and 9 patients (1.2%) transferred their banked sperm to another center. The median duration from cryopreservation to use was 51 months (range, 1–158 months). CONCLUSIONS: Sperm cryopreservation before gonadotoxic treatment is the most reliable method to preserve the fertility of male cancer patients. Sperm cryopreservation should be offered as a standard of care for all men planning cancer therapy.
Cryopreservation ; Fertility Preservation ; Fertility ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Lymphoma ; Male ; Marital Status ; Methods ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Semen Preservation ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; Standard of Care ; Testicular Neoplasms

Background: There has been no comparison of the determinants of admission route between acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We examined whether factors associated with direct versus transferred-in admission to regional cardiocerebrovascular centers (RCVCs) differed between AIS and AMI. Methods: Using a nationwide RCVC registry, we identified consecutive patients presenting with AMI and AIS between July 2016 and December 2018. We explored factors associated with direct admission to RCVCs in patients with AIS and AMI and examined whether those associations differed between AIS and AMI, including interaction terms between each factor and disease type in multivariable models. To explore the influence of emergency medical service (EMS) paramedics on hospital selection, stratified analyses according to use of EMS were also performed. Results: Among the 17,897 and 8,927 AIS and AMI patients, 66.6% and 48.2% were directly admitted to RCVCs, respectively. Multivariable analysis showed that previous coronary heart disease, prehospital awareness, higher education level, and EMS use increased the odds of direct admission to RCVCs, but the odds ratio (OR) was different between AIS and AMI (for the first 3 factors, AMI > AIS; for EMS use, AMI < AIS). EMS use was the single most important factor for both AIS and AMI (OR, 4.72 vs. 3.90). Hypertension and hyperlipidemia increased, while living alone decreased the odds of direct admission only in AMI;additionally, age (65–74 years), previous stroke, and presentation during non-working hours increased the odds only in AIS. EMS use weakened the associations between direct admission and most factors in both AIS and AMI. Conclusions Various patient factors were differentially associated with direct admission to RCVCs between AIS and AMI. Public education for symptom awareness and use of EMS is essential in optimizing the transportation and hospitalization of patients with AMI and AIS.