PURPOSE: Severe atopic dermatitis is a condition that can seriously affect the quality of life. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and side effect of cyclosporin A treatment in children. METHODS: Nine children(male 7, female 2) with severe atopic dermatitis resistant to conventional therapy and/or significant suffering and disability. The initial dose of cyclosporin A was 2.1-5.2 mg/kg/day and the duration of treatment was 4-6 weeks. The severity and extent of atopic dermatitis were evaluated with modified criteria of Hanifin and Rajka, at 0, 2, 4 and 6th week and after cessation of cyclosporin, at 10th week. Total clinical score was calculated as the average of both extent and severity score. RESULTS: There are significant improvement in both of the symptom severity and the extent of atopic dermatitis. The mean severity and extent scores were 92% and 88% before treatment and 28% and 34% after 6 weeks' treatment. The overall change of the total clinical score was 59% of decrease. Two patients had to stop the drug after 4 weeks of treatment because of severe abdominal pain, especially at night. After stopping the drug, at the 10th weeks' evaluation, 3 patients showed symptomatic exacervations but 6 patients maintain their improved state only with conventional treatment. CONCLUSION : Despite the side effect, cyclosporin A gave a rapid clinical response to severe refractory atopic dermatitis in children.
Abdominal Pain ; Child* ; Cyclosporine* ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Female ; Humans ; Quality of Life

BACKGROUND: Pulsed radiofrequency treatment (pulsed RF) has recently been described as a non-neurodestructive or minimally neurodestructive alternative to radiofrequency heat lesions. However, there are few data to evaluate the mechanism of this therapy. The aim of this study is to explore the underlying mechanism of pulsed RF on spinal nervous system using comparative proteomic analysis. METHODS: L5 dorsal root ganglion was exposed to pulsed RF and sham treatment. Protein extracts from the spinal cord of both groups were analyzed using comparative proteomics to identify differentially expressed proteins. To validate the differential expression of proteins, we utilized western blotting and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The spinal cord taken from pulsed RF treated rats was found to underexpress 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase, mitochondrial [Precursor]. Immunostaining density of gamma-aminobutyric acid measured from the spinal cord taken from pulsed RF treated rats was significantly increased compared with sham treated rats. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that the decreased expression of 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase, mitochondrial [Precursor] and increased expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid in the spinal cord after exposure of the lumbar dorsal root ganglion to pulsed RF. That might be the possible underlying mechanism of the analgesic effect of pulsed RF.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; Ganglia, Spinal ; Hot Temperature ; Immunohistochemistry ; Nervous System ; Placebos ; Proteins ; Proteome ; Proteomics ; Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment ; Rats ; Salicylamides ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Nerve Roots

In the article, there was an error in Figure 3.
Glomerulonephritis, Membranous* ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) has been identified as a major autoantigen in primary membranous nephropathy (MN). We evaluated the association between anti-PLA2R antibodies and clinical outcome in Korean patients with primary MN. METHODS: A total of 66 patients with biopsy-proven MN were included. Serum level of anti-PLA2R antibodies was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Biochemical parameters were estimated initially and at follow-up. RESULTS: Anti-PLA2R antibodies were detected in 52.1% and 27.8% of patients with primary and secondary MN, respectively. Forty-eight patients with primary MN were grouped based on presence or absence of anti-PLA2R antibodies. Proteinuria was more severe in anti-PLA2R-positive patients than in anti-PLA2R-negative patients (urine protein/creatinine ratio 7.922 ± 3.985 g/g vs. 4.318 ± 3.304 g/g, P = 0.001), and anti-PLA2R antibody level was positively correlated with proteinuria. The incidence of chronic kidney disease stage ≥ 3 was higher in anti-PLA2R-positive patients compared with anti-PLA2R-negative patients (P = 0.004). The probabilities of spontaneous remission were higher in anti-PLA2R-negative patients compared with anti-PLA2R-positive patients (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that anti-PLA2R antibodies are an independent risk factor for developing chronic kidney disease stage ≥ 3 and for not reaching spontaneous remission. CONCLUSION: Detection of anti-PLA2R antibodies at diagnosis in patients with primary MN can predict prognosis and guide treatment decisions.
Antibodies ; Diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Proteinuria ; Receptors, Phospholipase A2 ; Remission, Spontaneous ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Risk Factors

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of individualized diabetes nutrition education. The nutrition education program was open to all type 2 diabetes patients visiting the clinic center and finally 67 patients agreed to join the program. To compare with 67 education group subjects, 34 subjects were selected by medical record review. The education program consisted of one class session for 1-2 hours long in a small group of 4~5 patients. A meal planning using the food exchange system was provided according to the diet prescription and food habits of each subject. Measurements of clinical outcomes and dietary intakes were performed at baseline and 3 months after the education session. After 3 months, subjects in education group showed improvement in dietary behavior and food exchange knowledge. In education group, intakes of protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin B2, and folate per 1,000 kcal/day were significantly increased and cholesterol intake was significantly decreased. They also showed significant reductions in body weight, body mass index (BMI), and fasting blood concentrations of glucose (FBS), HbA1c, total cholesterol, and triglyceride. However, no such improvements were observed in control group. To evaluate telephone consultation effect, after the nutrition education session, 34 subjects of the 67 education group received telephone follow-up consultation once a month for 3 months. The others (33 subjects) had no further contact after the nutrition education session. Subjects in the telephone follow-up group showed a decrease in BMI, FBS, and HbA1c. Moreover, the subjects who did not receive telephone follow-up also showed significant decreases in BMI and FBS. These results indicated that our individually planned education program for one session was effective in rectifying dietary behavior problems and improving food exchange knowledge, and quality of diet, leading to an improvement in the clinical outcomes. In conclusion, our individualized nutrition education was effective in adherence to diet recommendation and in improving glycemic control and lipid concentrations, while follow-up by telephone helped to encourage the adherence to diet prescription.
Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Calcium ; Cholesterol ; Compliance ; Diet ; Fasting ; Folic Acid ; Follow-Up Studies ; Food Habits ; Glucose ; Humans ; Meals ; Medical Records ; Phosphorus ; Prescriptions ; Riboflavin ; Telephone

We examined the effect of parental folate deficiency on the folate content, global DNA methylation, folate receptor-alpha (FRalpha), insulin-like-growth factor-2 (IGF-2) and -1 receptor (IGF-1R) in the liver and plasma homocysteine in the postnatal rat. Male and female rats were randomly fed a folic acid-deficient (paternal folate-deficient, PD and maternal folate-deficient, MD), or folic acid-supplemented diet (paternal folate-supplemented, PS and maternal-folate-supplemented, MS) for four weeks. They were mated and grouped accordingly: PSxMS, PSxMD, PDxMS, and PDxMD. Pups were killed on day 21 of lactation. The hepatic folate content was markedly reduced in the PDxMD and PSxMD and PDxMS as compared with the PSxMS group. The hepatic global DNA methylation was decreased in the PDxMS and PSxMD groups as much as in the PDxMD group, and all the three groups were significantly lower as compared to the PSxMS group. There were no significant differences in the hepatic FRalpha, IGF-2 and IGF-1R expressions among the groups. Positive correlations were found between the hepatic folate content and global DNA methylation and protein expressions of FRalpha, IGF-2 and IGF-1R, whereas an inverse correlation was found between hepatic folate content and plasma homocysteine level in the 3-week-old rat pup. The results of this study show that both paternal and maternal folate deficiency at mating can influence the folate content and global DNA methylation in the postnatal rat liver.
Animals ; Diet ; DNA ; DNA Methylation ; Female ; Folic Acid ; Homocysteine ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II ; Lactation ; Liver ; Male ; Parents ; Plasma ; Rats

165Dy Hydroxide Macroaggregates(165Dy HMA) has a short half life(2.3 hours) and a size range of 3-5µm that give the advantage of reduced leakage and a shorter hospital stay. This report will show the results of a prospective open study on the efficacy and safety of 165Dy HMA in 178 knees of 141 patients with chronic synovitis refractory to conventional antirheumatic therapy. The final global assessment was classified as good, fair or poor. Extra-articular leakage of 165Dy HMA was determined by the scintigraphic evaluation of liver, groin and knee joints. The optimum radiation dose was 250 mCi. The mean follow up periods were 32.4(14-112) weeks. Thirty seven percent of the knees showed good results, 48% fair results and 15% poor results. In the knees with stage I radiographic changes, 82% showed improvement including 32% of the patients with good results. In the knees with stage II radiographic changes, 90% showed improvement including 42% of the patients with good results. The mean period of improvement for the 158 knees that responded to treatment was 41.4(24-106) weeks. Leakage of radioactivity from the injected joint was minimal. Adverse reactions were rare(radiation burn : 4 cases, transient postinjection swelling : 14 cases). In conclusion, 165Dy HMA radiation synovectomy is a safe and useful therapy for chromic synovitis of the rheumatoid knees.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Burns ; Follow-Up Studies ; Groin ; Humans ; Injections, Intra-Articular ; Joints ; Knee Joint ; Knee ; Length of Stay ; Liver ; Prospective Studies ; Radioactivity ; Synovitis