No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic*

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy(CIDP) is a rare acquired demyelinating disease of peripheral nervous system(PNS), characterized by relapsing or progressive proximal and distal muscle weakness with possible sensory loss. It is one of several chronic neuropathic syndromes that are believed to have an autoimmune etiology. We experienced a case of CIDP in a 3-month-old boy associated with perianal abscess by Klebsiella pneumoniae who had a precipitous onset of symptoms after anesthesia. He was treated with intravenous immunoglobuline with little improvement but showed a remarkable clinical and electrophysiologic improvement after methylprednisolone pulse therapy. We report this case with a brief review of related literature.
Abscess* ; Anesthesia ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Infant ; Klebsiella pneumoniae* ; Klebsiella* ; Male ; Methylprednisolone ; Muscle Weakness ; Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating*

Macrophage-associated inflammation is crucial for the pathogenesis of diverse diseases including metabolic disorders. Rhodanthpyrone (Rho) is an active component of Gentiana rhodantha, which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat inflammation. Although synthesis procedures of RhoA and RhoB were reported, the biological effects of the specific compounds have never been explored. In this study, the anti-inflammatory activity and mechanisms of action of RhoA and RhoB were studied in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages. Pretreatment with RhoA and RhoB decreased inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expressions in RAW 264.7 cells and in thioglycollate-elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages. In addition, it downregulated transcript levels of several inflammatory genes in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, including inflammatory cytokines/chemokines (Tnfa, Il6, and Ccl2) and inflammatory mediators (Nos2 and Ptgs2). Macrophage chemotaxis was also inhibited by treatment with the compounds. Mechanistic studies revealed that RhoA and RhoB suppressed the nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway, but not the canonical mitogen activated protein kinase pathway, in LPS-stimulated condition. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of RhoA and RhoB on inflammatory gene expressions was attenuated by treatment with an NF-κB inhibitor. Our findings suggest that RhoA and RhoB play an anti-inflammatory role at least in part by suppressing the NF-κB pathway during macrophage-mediated inflammation.
Animals ; Chemotaxis ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Gene Expression ; Gentiana ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; Macrophages ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mice ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Protein Kinases ; RAW 264.7 Cells

No abstract available.
Cervix Uteri* ; Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Follicular Fluid* ; Humans* ; Spermatozoa* ; Spouses*

BACKGROUND: There are highly-polymorphic DNA markers in the human genomic DNA, known as the variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR). The VNTR markers can be used to evaluate the engraftment of stem cells. We evaluated the discrimination power of 3 types of long-tandem repeat (LTR) and tried to predict underlying disease relapses by DNA chimerism. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients were transplanted with allogeneic peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) and their related donors were tested. We used the three long-tandem repeats (LTR) D1S80, D1S111, and YNZ22 for VNTR-PCR. The informative test was performed before transplantation. The chimerism analysis was performed on days +30, +60, +90, and +180 after transplantation. RESULTS: The most informative marker was D1S80 with 55.2% discrimination potential. The power of discrimination was 79.3% in the combination of 3 LTRs. Twenty-two cases were tested for DNA chimerism analysis. When the complete chimerism was represented, the engraftment was more successful and when the mixed chimerism was represented, the underlying disease relapse rate increased. CONCLUSTIONS: DNA chimerism analysis was useful to evaluate the marrow status of patients. It also served as an indication for donor lymphocyte infusion. However, compared to unrelated allogenic PBSCT, the discrimination potential for the combination of 3 LTR loci was lower in the related allogenic PBSCT. Therefore, it is thought that additional short-tandem repeats and DNA sequencing are required for more discrimination power especially in related transplantation cases.
Bone Marrow ; Chimerism ; Discrimination (Psychology)* ; DNA ; Genetic Markers ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Minisatellite Repeats ; Recurrence ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Stem Cells* ; Tissue Donors

BACKGROUND: Hair growth is spontaneously activated from quiescent bulge stem cells or is activated from precocious anagen. Upon spontaneous activation of hair growth or activation induced by nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 (NFATc1) inhibitors, NFATc1 expression is lost and cyclin dependent kinase (CDK4) repression is relieved. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of cyclosporine as a hair cycle regulator in the treatment of Alopecia areata (AA). METHODS: In this study, we planned to investigate the hair growing properties of cyclosporine in vitro conditions. Briefly, the effects of different concentrations of cyclosporine (200, 500, 1,000, 2,000 mmol) on the growth of cultured hair follicles were examined through the expression of NFATc1 and CDK4. RESULTS: NFATc1 was downregulated and CDK4 expression was upregulated especially in the bulge areas, outer root sheath and hair bulb matrix cells as the concentration of cyclosporine increased. CONCLUSION: Cyclosporine induces CDK4 expression by NFATc1 suppression, which acts to relieve repressed CDK4, resulting in hair growth. In conclusion, cyclosporine is one of the candidates as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of hair loss.
Alopecia Areata ; Cyclins ; Cyclosporine* ; Hair Follicle ; Hair* ; Phosphotransferases ; Repression, Psychology ; Stem Cells ; T-Lymphocytes

The platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been advocated as a way to introduce increased concentrations of growth factors and other bioactive molecules to injured tissues in an attempt to optimize the local healing environment. A 94-yr-old woman with various comorbidities presented with a two-week history of severe cutaneous ulcer on the left dorsum of foot. It was caused by recurrent mechanical trauma and did not respond to several wound debridement and simple dressings. However, after she was completed on seven times of autologous PRP treatments, we observed complete healing of the skin lesion within 3 months. Herein, we report a case of recalcitrant cutaneous ulcer with various comorbidities and discuss about the promising possibility of autologous PRP as an effective alternative therapeutic modality.
Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; *Platelet-Rich Plasma ; Skin Ulcer/complications/*therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Wound Healing

Acute bacterial meningitis is an uncommon, potentially life-threatening infection and recurrent episodes of bacterial meningitis are rarely seen. But when they occur, an exhaustive search for the mechanisms underlying the recurrent episodes must be pursued, especially some possible routes of migration of bacteria to the cerebrospinal fluid. Dermal sinus tracts are common skin manifestations seen with spinal dysraphism and may be associated with recurrent meningitis. Here, we present a case of a 2-month-old girl who had a small dimple on the lower lumbosacral area. She was attacked twice by purulent bacterial meningitis due to a dermal sinus tract and a tethered cord. She was treated with the excision of the tract, the removal of the dermoid and the detethering of the cord. Staphylococcus and Klebsiella were cultured separately and assumed to be causative agents. The lesion was suspected on the physical examination and demonstrated by lumbosacral magnetic resonance imaging.
Bacteria ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Dermoid Cyst ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Klebsiella ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningitis ; Meningitis, Bacterial* ; Physical Examination ; Skin Manifestations ; Spina Bifida Occulta* ; Spinal Dysraphism ; Staphylococcus

PURPOSE: The association between autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs) and vitamin D deficiency is controversial. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] and anti-thyroid antibody levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 25(OH)D3, anti-thyroid antibodies, and thyroid function measured in 304 patients who visited the endocrinology clinic were analyzed. The patients were subgrouped into the AITDs or non-AITDs category according to the presence or absence of anti-thyroid antibodies. The relationship between anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and 25(OH)D3 was evaluated. RESULTS: The patients with elevated anti-thyroid antibodies had lower levels of serum 25(OH)D3 than those who did not (12.6+/-5.5 ng/mL vs. 14.5+/-7.3 ng/mL, respectively, p<0.001). Importantly, after adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index, a negative correlation (r=-0.252, p<0.001) was recognized between 25(OH)D3 and TPOAb levels in the AITDs group, but this correlation did not exist in the non-AITDs group (r=0.117, p=0.127). 25(OH)D3 level was confirmed as an independent factor after adjusting for co-factors that may affect the presence of TPOAb in the AITDs group. CONCLUSION: 25(OH)D3 level is an independent factor affecting the presence of TPOAb in AITDs. The causal effect of 25(OH)D3 deficiency to AITDs is to be elucidated.
Antibodies ; Body Mass Index ; Endocrinology ; Humans ; Methods ; Peroxidase* ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune* ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

Purpose: To compare serum selenium levels in Graves patients and non-Graves control participants and to evaluate associations between serum selenium levels and clinical features of Graves orbitopathy (GO). Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective case-control study among 33 patients with Graves disease without GO (GD), 31 patients with diagnosed GO, and 27 unaffected healthy participants enrolled between 2013 and 2020 at Severance Hospital. We compared serum selenium concentrations between the GD, GO, and healthy control groups, and analyzed associations between serum selenium and GO patients’ clinical activity scores, severity (assessed through modified NOSPECS scores), and other clinical features using multivariate linear regression analysis. Results: Mean serum selenium levels were 109.30 ± 16.39, 111.39 ± 14.04, and 126.09 ± 21.09 ng/mL in GO patients, GD patients, and healthy control participants, respectively. Mean serum selenium levels in Graves patients with and without orbitopathy were significantly lower than those in the healthy control group (p < 0.05), and mean selenium levels were slightly lower in GO than those in GD patients (p = 0.594). Serum selenium levels were significantly lower in GO patients with eyelid retraction than in patients without retraction (p = 0.038). However, serum selenium levels were not associated with clinical activity scores and modified NOSPECS scores (p = 0.241 and 0.801, respectively). Conclusions Serum selenium levels were significantly lower in Graves patients with or without GO, compared to non-Graves control participants. Selenium levels were not associated with clinical activity scores or NOSPECS scores, though we observed an association with eyelid retraction.