Diabetic neuropathy is an axonal degenerative disease characterized by progressive axonal atrophy and reduced axonal transport. We were interested in the potential neuroprotective effects of nerve growth factor against diabetic neuropathies. To this aim we studied the effect of nerve growth factor on satellite cells, which might play a trophic role toward the related neuron, of the dorsal root ganglion in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by electron in microscope . Diabetes was induced in rats by the streptozotocin. And recombinant human NGF was administrated everyday for 10 consecutive weeks. The results obtained are as follows : 1.In the diabetic induced group, the satellite cells revealed irregular nuclei.The neuron-satellite cell interface was more irregular and plicated than that of control. Large vacuoles and dense bodies were observed and no defects were in the ribosomes and rough endoplasmic reticulum. In the vacuoles, medium electron dense, fiber -like materials were occasionally observed. 2. In the experimental group of diabetic rats treated with NGF for 10 weeks, nucleus was round and the neuron-satellite interface was more regular. Vacuoles and dense bodies were less seen than diabetic rats. In the cytoplasm, many microtubules were observed. In these studies, we considered that streptozotocin induces changes of the satellite cell structure and NGF might improve cellular changes of the satellite cell exposed with streptozotocin.
Animals ; Atrophy ; Axonal Transport ; Axons ; Cytoplasm ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough ; Ganglia* ; Ganglia, Spinal ; Humans ; Microtubules ; Nerve Growth Factor* ; Neurons ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Rats* ; Ribosomes ; Streptozocin ; Vacuoles

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the effectiveness of isolation measures using cohorting rooms and antimicrobial use in reducing the isolation rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR-AB). METHODS: Four cohorting rooms (16 beds) for patients colonized or infected with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) have been created in the general wards of our 894-bed hospital since October 2003. We prospectively evaluated the isolation rates of MRSA and MDR-AB, and amount of antimicrobial use during the 8-year study period. We also investigated the relationship between antimicrobial use density (AUD) and the isolation rates of MRSA and MDR-AB. RESULTS: After creating cohorting rooms, the isolation rates of MRSA decreased from 1.56 cases per 1,000 patient-days from 2004-2005 to 1.24 from 2006-2007 (P=0.57). The isolation rates of MDR-AB also decreased from 0.72 from 2004-2005 to 0.36 from 2010-2011 (P<0.01). The mean quarterly AUDs of glycopeptides and carbapenems were 30.17+/-6.80 and 19.5+/-7.10, respectively. There were no significant correlations between AUD values and the isolation rate of MRSA or MDR-AB. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that isolation measures using cohorting rooms to help limit the transmission of MDRO infection and colonization, especially MDR-AB, in resource-limited settings is feasible and efficacious.
Acinetobacter ; Acinetobacter baumannii ; Carbapenems ; Cohort Studies ; Colon ; Drug Resistance ; Glycopeptides ; Humans ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Patient Isolation ; Patients' Rooms ; Prospective Studies

PURPOSE: The degree of laxity of the medial and lateral canthal tendon in Korean subjects with and without involutional entropion and epiphora was evaluated in the present study. METHODS: The present study included 180 normal subjects (360 eyes), 12 patients (15 eyes) with involutional entropion, and 41 patients (58 eyes) with epiphora. The degree of laxity of the medial and lateral canthal tendon, which grades the position of the inferior punctum, was measured using the lateral and medial distraction test. RESULTS: The mean degree of medial and lateral canthal tendon laxity was 1.83/1.08 in normal subjects. A statistical difference was not observed between sexes, and the mean degree of laxity tended to be higher in older patients. The mean degree of laxity was 2.78/2.18 and 2.28/1.22 in the involutional entropion group and the epiphora group, respectively. The involutional entropion group and the epiphora group underwent endoscopic endonasal dacryocystitis (D), medial spindle procedure (M), and endoscopic endonasal dacryocystitis with the medial spindle procedure and/or the tarsal strip procedure (T). The mean degree of laxity was 1.84/1.04 in group D, 3.00/1.20 in group M, 2.33/2.00 in group D + T, 3.20/1.40 in group D + M and 3.50/2.00 in group D + T + M before surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The results from the present study may aid in the selection of a basic treatment plan for Korean patients with involutional entropion or epiphora.
Dacryocystitis ; Entropion ; Humans ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases ; Tendons

Background: Multidrug- resistant organisms (MDRO) are a serious concern in healthcareassociated infections. Hand hygiene (HH) is essential to prevent the spread of MDRO in the healthcare institutes. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the incidence of MDRO and hand hygiene compliance and the experimental effectiveness of alcohol-gel hand hygiene practice. Methods: From March 2016 to September 2018, we analyzed the cross-correlation between the incidence of MDRO and the HH compliance each month at Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital. We employed an experiment to observe the effect of alcohol gel hand hygiene practice on the reduction of organisms on the hand surface using the handagar plates. Results: Among the MDRO, only vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) showed a moderate correlation with the HH rate (r = 0.55). The hand-agar plate experiment showed a significant bacterial reduction for inadequate HH (mean 3.47 CFU) and optimal HH (mean, 0.84 CFU) than before HH (mean, 11.56 CFU) (n = 32, P = 0.006). Conclusion The incidence of VRE showed a moderate correlation with HH among MDRO in the longitudinal analysis. HH practice was more effective in preventing the spread of VRE compared with other MDRO in our institute. Optimal alcohol-gel HH practice can effectively remove bacteria on the hand surface.

A 77-year-old woman was scheduled for a coronary artery bypass graft. Her preoperative transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) examination revealed an enlarged left atrium with reduced systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction: 38%), moderate global hypokinesia of the left ventricle, and moderate mitral and tricuspid regurgitation. No thrombus was visualized on the preoperative TTE. However, the intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography performed before the cardiopulmonary bypass revealed a thrombus of approximately 1.3 × 1.8 cm in the left atrial appendage (LAA). The LAA thrombus was removed, an internal suture was placed on the LAA before the coronary artery bypass grafting, and the main operation was performed successfully. The patient was transferred to the intensive care unit to receive postoperative care. She was extubated 4 h after the surgery and was transferred to the general ward on postoperative day 3 without any neurological sequelae.
Aged ; Atrial Appendage* ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Female ; Heart Atria ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Hypokinesia ; Intensive Care Units ; Patients' Rooms ; Postoperative Care ; Sutures ; Thrombosis* ; Transplants ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency

Objective: To investigate the clinical feasibility of synthetic diffusion-weighted imaging (sDWI) at different b-values in patientswith breast cancer by assessing the diagnostic image quality and the quantitative measurements compared with conventionaldiffusion-weighted imaging (cDWI). Materials and Methods: Fifty patients with breast cancer were assessed using cDWI at b-values of 800 and 1500 s/mm2 (cDWI800and cDWI1500) and sDWI at b-values of 1000 and 1500 s/mm2 (sDWI1000 and sDWI1500). Qualitative analysis (normal glandulartissue suppression, overall image quality, and lesion conspicuity) was performed using a 4-point Likert-scale for all DWI setsand the cancer detection rate (CDR) was calculated. We also evaluated cancer-to-parenchyma contrast ratios for each DWI setin 45 patients with the lesion identified on any of the DWI sets. Statistical comparisons were performed using Friedman test,one-way analysis of variance, and Cochran’s Q test. Results: All parameters of qualitative analysis, cancer-to-parenchyma contrast ratios, and CDR increased with increasingb-values, regardless of the type of imaging (synthetic or conventional) (p< 0.001). Additionally, sDWI1500 provided better lesionconspicuity than cDWI1500 (3.52 ± 0.92 vs. 3.39 ± 0.90, p< 0.05). Although cDWI1500 showed better normal glandular tissuesuppression and overall image quality than sDWI1500 (3.66 ± 0.78 and 3.73 ± 0.62 vs. 3.32 ± 0.90 and 3.35 ± 0.81, respectively;p< 0.05), there was no significant difference in their CDR (90.0%). Cancer-to-parenchyma contrast ratios were greater insDWI1500 than in cDWI1500 (0.63 ± 0.17 vs. 0.55 ± 0.18, p< 0.001). Conclusion sDWI1500 can be feasible for evaluating breast cancers in clinical practice. It provides higher tumor conspicuity,better cancer-to-parenchyma contrast ratio, and comparable CDR when compared with cDWI1500.

Glucosamine is commonly taken by the elderly without prescription as a nutritional supplement to attenuate the progression or symptoms of osteoarthritis. Previous studies demonstrated that glucosamine shows anti-inflammatory effects in tissues such as blood vessels and the heart. However, there have been few reports about the effects of glucosamine on oral inflammatory diseases. Therefore, in this study, the effects of glucosamine on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses were investigated using human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPDLFs). HPDLFs were incubated in the presence and absence of glucosamine (10 mM) for 24 h, followed by treatment with E. coli LPS (100 ng/ml) or vehicle. Quantitative RT-PCR and ELISA results showed that LPS exposure significantly increased the levels of IL-6 and IL-8 mRNA and protein, while the effect was significantly suppressed by glucosamine treatment. Glucosamine did not attenuate, but slightly increased, the LPS-induced activation of mitogen activated kinases (ERK, p38, JNK). However, it suppressed the LPS-induced increase in the DNA binding affinity and transcriptional activity of NF-kappaB. These results suggest that glucosamine exerts anti-inflammatory effects on HPDLFs exposed to LPS via inhibition of NF-kappaB activity, necessitating further studies using animal periodontitis models.
Aged ; Animals ; Blood Vessels ; DNA ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fibroblasts* ; Glucosamine* ; Heart ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukin-8 ; NF-kappa B ; Osteoarthritis ; Periodontal Ligament* ; Periodontitis ; Phosphotransferases ; Prescriptions ; RNA, Messenger

BACKGROUND: Defects caused by excision of benign lid margin tumors are conventionally repaired by reconstructive surgery. However, second intention healing is another option for managing wounds on the lid margin. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of second intention healing after a shave excision of benign tumors on the lid margin. METHODS: Lid defects following a shave excision of the lid margin tumor were allowed to heal by second intention in 25 patients (26 lesions). The epithelialzation period was calculated, and cosmetic and functional results and complications were evaluated by photographs and ophthalmological examination. RESULTS: The locations of the defects were as follows: upper lid (n=13), lower lid (n=11), and both upper and lower lids (n=1). The mean tumor size was 3.8x3.6 mm, and the mean epithelialization period by second intention was 6.1+/-1.2 weeks. Pathological examinations revealed intradermal nevus (12 cases), compound nevus (five cases), squamous papilloma (five cases), and epidermal cyst (three cases). No patients had a corneal erosion, trichiasis, or hypertrophic scar, except loss of cilia in two cases. The functional and cosmetic results were satisfactory in all patients. CONCLUSION: Healing by second intention is a safe and effective alternative to surgical reconstruction after a shave excision of benign lid margin tumors.
Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Cilia ; Cosmetics ; Epidermal Cyst ; Humans ; Intention ; Nevus ; Nevus, Intradermal ; Papilloma ; Trichiasis

No abstract available.
Catheters ; Paralysis ; Phrenic Nerve

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of blepharotomy to treat upper eyelid retraction associated with thyroid eye disease. METHODS: A retrospective survey was performed with 9 eyes of 7 thyroid ophthalmopathy patients, who visited Korea University Medical Center from August 2009 to February 2011, and had undergone blepharotomy. The sex, age, change of upper eyelid retraction, postoperative complication, follow-up periods, and the surgical results were reviewed. To assess the efficacy of blepharotomy more objectively, the preoperative and postoperative pictures of patients were taken and the following lid parameters measured: marginal reflex distance 1, interpalpebral fissure height, total palpebral fissure area, upper nasal palpebral fissure area, and upper temporal palpebral fissure area. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 37.4 years and mean follow-up period was 12.8 months. Five patients had undergone surgery unilaterally and 2 patients, bilaterally. Seven eyes of 6 patients had undergone full thickness blepharotomy and 2 eyes of 1 patient had undergone graded blepharotomy. According to the 3-month preoperative and postoperative picture analysis, all lid parameters improved significantly after blepharotomy (2.03 mm, 1.95 mm, 24.28 mm2, 12.98 mm2, and 16.21 mm2, respectively). Complications associated with blepharotomy included multiple and high folds in 2 eyes of 2 patients who had undergone full thickness blepharotomy. Re-operation was performed on only 1 eye and the result was satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: Blepharotomy for upper eyelid retraction is a safe and highly effective surgery for upper eyelid retraction associated with symptomatic thyroid eye disease. This technique achieves excellent functional and cosmetic outcomes.
Academic Medical Centers ; Cosmetics ; Eye ; Eye Diseases ; Eyelids ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Postoperative Complications ; Reflex ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Gland