Metronidazole is commonly used for brain abscess but is not well known for its neurotoxic complications. Metronidazole-induced encephalopathy (MIEP) is toxic encephalopathy associated with the use of metronidazole. We experienced a case of brain abscess which developed reversible severe MIEP during treatment period. Although MIEP occurs in typical locations, it is not easy to differentiate from other conditions such as cerebral infarction, demyelinating diseases and metabolic diseases. Neurosurgeons should be aware that severe MIEP can occur during the use of metronidazole though it is not common.
Brain ; Brain Abscess ; Cerebral Infarction ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Humans ; Metabolic Diseases ; Metronidazole ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes

Hepatitis B virus X (HBx) protein has been reported as a key protein regulating the pathogenesis of HBV-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recent evidence has shown that HBx is implicated in the activation of autophagy in hepatic cells. Nevertheless, the precise molecular and cellular mechanism by which HBx induces autophagy is still controversial.Herein, we investigated the molecular and cellular mechanism by which HBx is involved in the TRAF6-BECN1-Bcl-2 signaling for the regulation of autophagy in response to TLR4 stimulation, therefore influencing the HCC progression. HBx interacts with BECN1 (Beclin 1) and inhibits the association of the BECN1-Bcl-2 complex, which is known to prevent the assembly of the pre-autophagosomal structure. Furthermore, HBx enhances the interaction between VPS34 and TRAF6-BECN1 complex, increases the ubiquitination of BECN1, and subsequently enhances autophagy induction in response to LPS stimulation. To verify the functional role of HBx in liver cancer progression, we utilized different HCC cell lines, HepG2, SK-Hep-1, and SNU-761. HBx-expressing HepG2 cells exhibited enhanced cell migration, invasion, and cell mobility in response to LPS stimulation compared to those of control HepG2 cells. These results were consistently observed in HBx-expressed SK-Hep-1 and HBx-expressed SNU-761 cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that HBx positively regulates the induction of autophagy through the inhibition of the BECN1-Bcl-2 complex and enhancement of the TRAF6-BECN1-VPS34 complex, leading to enhance liver cancer migration and invasion.

Eosinophils have been reported to modulate T cell responses. Previously, we reported that high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) played a key role in the pathogenesis of asthma. This study was conducted to test our hypothesis that eosinophils could modulate T cell responses via HMGB1 in the pathogenesis of asthma characterized by eosinophilic airway inflammation. We performed in vitro experiments using eosinophils, dendritic cells (DCs), and CD4+ T cells obtained from a murine model of asthma. The supernatant of the eosinophil culture was found to significantly increase the levels of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5 in the supernatant of CD4+ T cells co-cultured with DCs. HMGB1 levels increased in the supernatant of the eosinophil culture stimulated with IL-5. Anti-HMGB1 antibodies significantly attenuated increases of IL-4 and IL-5 levels in the supernatant of CD4+ T cells co-cultured with DCs that were induced by the supernatant of the eosinophil culture. In addition, anti-HMGB1 antibodies significantly attenuated the expressions of activation markers (CD44 and CD69) on CD4+ T cells. Our data suggest that eosinophils modulate CD4+ T cell responses via HMGB1 in the pathogenesis of asthma.
Antibodies ; Asthma* ; Dendritic Cells ; Eosinophils* ; HMGB1 Protein ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-4 ; Interleukin-5 ; Interleukins ; T-Lymphocytes

The role of alveolar macrophages (AMs) in the pathogenesis of asthma is still unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of AM in the murine model of asthma. AMs were selectively depleted by liposomes containing clodronate just before allergen challenges, and changes in inflammatory cells and cytokine concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were measured. AMs were then adoptively transferred to AM-depleted sensitized mice and changes were measured. Phenotypic changes in AMs were evaluated after in vitro allergen stimulation. AM-depletion after sensitization significantly increased the number of eosinophils and lymphocytes and the concentrations of IL-4, IL-5 and GM-CSF in BAL fluid. These changes were significantly ameliorated only by adoptive transfer of unsensitized AMs, not by sensitized AMs. In addition, in vitro allergen stimulation of AMs resulted in their gaining the ability to produce inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha, and losing the ability to suppress GM-CSF concentrations in BAL fluid. These findings suggested that AMs worked probably through GM-CSF-dependent mechanisms, although further confirmatory experiments are needed. Our results indicate that the role of AMs in the context of airway inflammation should be re-examined.
Animals ; Asthma/*immunology ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/chemistry/cytology/immunology ; Cytokines/biosynthesis/immunology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Immunization ; Immunomodulation/*immunology ; Inflammation/*immunology ; Leukocytes/immunology ; Macrophages, Alveolar/*immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Ovalbumin/immunology

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical findings and mortality of gastric perforation between preterm and term infants. METHODS: The medical records of neonates, admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Dongsan Medical Center for gastric perforation between July 1992 and June 2012, were reviewed retrospectively. The admission records of clinical findings and mortality were reviewed and statistically analyzed between preterm and term infants. RESULTS: Nine infants were diagnosed with neonatal gastric perforation. Of the nine infants, the number of term infants was five and the number of male was eight. Of the four infants diagnosed with spontaneous gastric perforation, the number of preterm and term infants was three and one respectively. The anatomical location of perforation was greater curvature in all four preterm infants. However, various sites such as greater curvature (three infants) and antrum (two infants) were observed in five term infants. Mortality rate was tended to be lower in preterm infants compared to term infants, without statistical significance (25.0% vs. 40.0%, P>0.1). There was no mortality in four infants diagnosed with spontaneous gastric perforation. However, two infants diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) all died. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in clinical findings and mortality of gastric perforation between preterm and term infants. The prognosis of spontaneous gastric perforation was good, however, mortality rate was tended to be higher in NEC than other causes (P=0.083).
Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Male ; Medical Records ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: This study is to investigate time course of symptom disappearance in patients whose spasm relieved completely after microvascular decompression (MVD). METHODS: Of 115 patients with hemifacial spasm (HFS) who underwent MVD from April 2003 to December 2006, 89 patients who had no facial paralysis after operation and showed no spasm at last follow-up more than 1.5 years after operation were selected. Symptom disappearance with time after MVD was classified into type 1 (symptom disappearance right after operation), type 2 (delayed symptom disappearance) and type 3 (unusual symptom disappearance). Type 2 was classified into type 2a (with postoperative silent period) and type 2b (without silent period). RESULTS: Type 1, type 2a, type 2b and type 3 were 38.2%, 48.37%, 12.4% and 1.1%, respectively. Delayed disappearance group (type 2) was 60.7%. Post-operative symptom duration in all cases ranged from 0 to 900 days, average was 74.6 days and median was 14 days. In case of type 2, average post-operative symptom duration was 115.1 days and median was 42 days. Five and 3 patients required more than 1 year and 2 years, respectively, until complete disappearance of spasm. In type 2a, postoperative silent period ranged from 1 to 10 days, with an average of 2.4 days. CONCLUSION: Surgeons should be aware that delayed symptom disappearance after MVD for HFS is more common than it has been reported, silent period can be as long as 10 days and time course of symptom disappearance is various as well as unpredictable.
Facial Paralysis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemifacial Spasm ; Humans ; Microvascular Decompression Surgery ; Spasm

Neuropilin 1 (NP1) is a part of essential receptor complexes mediating both semaphorin3A (SEMA3A) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) which is one of important mediators involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. Therefore, it is possible that SEMA3A plays a role in the pathogenesis of asthma through attenuation of VEGF-mediated effects. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate expression levels of SEMA3A and NP1 using induced sputum of asthmatics and a murine model of asthma. Firstly, SEMA3A and NP1 expressions in induced sputum of asthmatics and SEMA3A and NP1 expression on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells and lung homogenates of asthmatic mice were determined. Then we evaluated the immunolocalization of VEGF receptor 1 (VEGFR1), VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2), and NP1 expressions on asthmatic mice lung tissue and their subcellular distributions using fibroblast and BEAS2B cell lines. Sputum SEMA3A and NP1 expressions were significantly higher in asthmatics than controls. Similarly, SEMA3A and NP1 expressions on BAL cells and lung homogenates were significantly elevated in asthmatic mice compared to control mice. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and NP1 expressions were also uniformly increased in asthmatic mice. Our observations suggest that SEMA3A and NP1 may play important roles in the pathogenesis of asthma.
Animals ; Asthma/metabolism/pathology/*physiopathology ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/cytology ; Cell Line ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Fibroblasts/metabolism ; *Gene Expression Regulation ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung/metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neuropilin-1/*genetics/metabolism ; Semaphorin-3A/*genetics/metabolism ; Sputum/metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1/metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2/metabolism

BACKGROUND: We reported that level of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure determined the type of airway inflammation in a murine model of asthma. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluated the role of IL-13 in low dose LPS induced murine model of asthma using IL-13 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) deficient mice. METHODS: Mice were sensitized with an intranasal application of LPS-depleted ovalbumin (OA) and different doses of LPS (0.1 and 10 µg), and then challenged intranasally with OA alone. The phenotype changes between wild type (WT) and IL-13-/- mice and between WT and STAT6-/- mice were evaluated. RESULTS: We confirmed again that low and high dose LPS resulted in different phenotypes of murine asthma. In the present study, we observed that phenotypes of murine asthma induced by low dose LPS were abolished in the homozygous null mutation of the IL-13 and STAT6 gene. However, those changes were not shown in mice sensitized OA plus high dose LPS. CONCLUSION: IL-13 plays an important role in low dose LPS induced murine model of asthma. Our results provided a new insight in understanding of the potential role of IL-13 in innate immunity in human allergic asthma.
Animals ; Asthma ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-13 ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Ovalbumin ; Phenotype ; STAT6 Transcription Factor

PURPOSE: Pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis is routinely recommended for Western cancer patients undergoing major surgery for prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, it is uncertainwhetherroutine administration of pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis is necessary in all Asian surgical cancer patients. This prospective study was conducted to examine the incidence of and risk factors for postoperative VTE in Korean colorectal cancer (CRC) patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study comprised two cohorts, and none of patients received perioperative pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis. In cohort A (n=400), patients were routinely screened for VTE using lower-extremity Doppler ultrasonography (DUS) on postoperative days 5-14. In cohort B (n=148), routine DUS was not performed, and imaging was only performed when there were symptoms or signs that were suspicious for VTE. The primary endpoint was the VTE incidence at 4 weeks postoperatively in cohort A. RESULTS: The postoperative incidence of VTE was 3.0% (n=12) in cohort A. Among the 12 patients, eight had distal calf vein thromboses and one had symptomatic thrombosis. Age ≥ 70 years (odds ratio [OR], 5.61), ≥ 2 comorbidities (OR, 13.42), and white blood cell counts of > 10,000/μL (OR, 17.43) were independent risk factors for postoperative VTE (p < 0.05). In cohort B, there was one case of VTE (0.7%). CONCLUSION: The postoperative incidence of VTE, which included asymptomatic cases, was 3.0% in Korean CRC patients who did not receive pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis. Perioperative pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis should be administered to Asian CRC patients on a risk-stratified basis.
Asia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cohort Studies ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Colorectal Surgery ; Comorbidity ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Leukocyte Count ; Prospective Studies* ; Risk Factors ; Thrombosis ; Ultrasonography, Doppler ; Veins ; Venous Thromboembolism*

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: We evaluated the clinical usability of immune cell monitoring in adult liver transplantation (LT) recipients. METHODS: This study was composed of two parts as using calcineurin phosphatase (CNP) activity assay and ImmuKnow assay independently as in vitro monitoring tools of immune cell function in adult LT recipients. RESULTS: There was a rough correlation between CNP activity and tacrolimus concentration in 33 patients. This association was evident in patients who were only administered tacrolimus, but disappeared after the co-administration of mycophenolate. In 118 healthy individuals, the mean proportion of helper T-cells was 37.4+/-8.1%. According to ImmuKnow assay, their immune responses were strong in 12 patients (10.2%), moderate in 92 patients (78.0%), and low in 14 patients (11.9%). In 85 patients waiting for LT, there was a rough correlation between the ImmuKnow ATP level and age. Their immune responses were strong in 0 patients (0%), moderate in 8 patients (9.4%), and low in 77 patients (90.6%). There was a difference in the ImmuKnow ATP levels between healthy individuals and patients with liver disease. In 137 LT recipients, there was no correlation between the ImmuKnow ATP levels and tacrolimus concentration. This trend did not change after grouping the patients according to co-administration with mycophenolate. Eight recipients experienced acute rejection, but none showed strong immune response. CONCLUSIONS: We think that both CNP activity assay and ImmuKnow assay are too limited to objectively determine the level of immunosuppression. Further studies should be performed to identify other methods for immune function monitoring.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Adult* ; Calcineurin ; Humans ; Immunosuppression* ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Transplantation ; Liver* ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer ; Tacrolimus ; Transplantation*