No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Ascorbic Acid* ; Lymphocytes* ; Macrophages, Peritoneal* ; Phagocytosis*

No abstract available.
Animals ; B-Lymphocytes* ; Mice* ; Sarcoma*

PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate the clinical and phylogenetic characteristics of Escherichia coli Urinary Tract Infections (E. coli UTI). METHODS: We enrolled patients with culture-proven E. coli UTI, who were admitted at the study hospital from September 2008 to August 2009. We investigated clinical data of patients with E. coli UTI and characteristics of isolated E. coli strains. The phylogenetic groups were classified using triplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the distribution of nine virulent genes was determined by multiplex PCR. RESULTS: A total of 47 patients have participated in this study. Thirty (63.8%) were under 6 months; eight (17.0%) were between 6-12 months; and nine (19.1%) were over 12 months. We compared two age groups between under 6-month and over 6-month. In the age group under 6-month, higher proportion of male (P=0.002) and group B2 strains (P=0.020) were observed. In contrast, higher proportion of female and group non-B2 strains were observed in age group over 6-month. Frequencies of papC, papGII, papGIII, sfa/foc, hlyC, cnf1, fyuA, iroN and iucC were estimated as 68.1%, 57.4%, 42.6%, 46.8%, 46.8%, 31.9%, 87.2%, 48.9% and 63.8%, respectively. In the comparison of phylogenetic groups, group B2 showed higher distribution of virulent genes, while group D included more strains resistant to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMZ) than other groups. CONCLUSION: We showed the age group-specific difference in the distribution of sex ratios and phylogenetic groups; more male and group B2 strains in age group under 6-month, while more female and group non-B2 in age group over 6-month. However, further evaluation including larger number of patients will be necessary to confirm above thesis in future molecular epidemiological studies.
Epidemiologic Studies ; Escherichia ; Escherichia coli ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Iron ; Male ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sex Ratio ; Urinary Tract ; Urinary Tract Infections

The temporal lobe is essential in saving declarative memory and plays an important role along with the cerebral neocortex in creating and maintaining long-term memory. Damage to the temporal lobe is expected to result in cognitive impairment or dementia, which has characteristic symptoms such as cognitive and behavioral dysfunction and decreasing self-reliance in activities of daily living. We report on a patient, who suffered from dementia due to meningovascular syphilis affecting the medial temporal lobe, and on the outcome of cognitive rehabilitation.
Activities of Daily Living ; Dementia ; Humans ; Memory ; Memory, Long-Term ; Neocortex ; Syphilis ; Temporal Lobe

The temporal lobe is essential in saving declarative memory and plays an important role along with the cerebral neocortex in creating and maintaining long-term memory. Damage to the temporal lobe is expected to result in cognitive impairment or dementia, which has characteristic symptoms such as cognitive and behavioral dysfunction and decreasing self-reliance in activities of daily living. We report on a patient, who suffered from dementia due to meningovascular syphilis affecting the medial temporal lobe, and on the outcome of cognitive rehabilitation.
Activities of Daily Living ; Dementia ; Humans ; Memory ; Memory, Long-Term ; Neocortex ; Syphilis ; Temporal Lobe

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of high frequency (10 Hz) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on visuospatial motor learning, stimulated on the premotor cortex in basal ganglia hemorrhage patients. METHOD: Nine patients were randomized to receive real and sham rTMS. We subdivided into two groups according to the integrity of the corticospinal tract measured by diffusion tensor tractography. The implicit visuospatial learning paradigm composed of numbers 1 to 4, in which 12 sequential numbers (2-3-1-4-3-2-4-1-3-4-2-1) were incorporated randomly. We obtained the mean fraction anisotrophy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values from the corticospinal tract and subdividing into two groups by calculating the relative value (laterality %). RESULTS: rTMS on the premotor cortex was effective only in simple motor learning but not in visuospatial learning in group analysis. The primary motor cortex excitability after the premotor cortex stimulation has been changed significantly. Subdividing into two groups according to the integrity of the corticospinal tract using the ADC value, the low ADC value group showed significant reduction of the visuospatial response time. CONCLUSION: High frequency rTMS on the premotor cortex was effective in simple motor learning and also in the group who maintained more integrity of the corticospinal tract in basal ganglia hemorrhage.
Basal Ganglia Hemorrhage ; Diffusion ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Learning ; Motor Cortex ; Pyramidal Tracts ; Salicylamides ; Stroke ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Purpose: Cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) have been recognized as key mediators associated with type 2 inflammation in the airways of asthmatic patients. CysLTs are associated with airway constriction, eosinophil recruitment/activation, and airway remodeling. The study aimed to understand the role of CysLTs in adult asthmatics in a real-world clinical setting. Methods: One hundred five adult asthmatics who had maintained antiasthmatic medications were enrolled. Asthmatic subjects were classified into 2 groups according to urinary leukotriene E4 (uLTE4) levels, and their clinical parameters and inflammatory mediators, including forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) %, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), blood eosinophil count, serum periostin (sPON), and urinary eosinophil derived neurotoxin (uEDN) were compared between the high-uLTE4 and low-uLTE4 groups. Results: The prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), severe asthma, and aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) were significantly higher in the high-uLTE4 group than in the low-uLTE4 group. The high-uLTE4 group had lower FEV1% and maximal midexpiratory flow %, but higher FeNO levels than the low-uLTE4 group. In addition, blood eosinophil count, sPON, and uEDN levels were significantly higher in the high-uLTE4 group than in the low-uLTE4 group. The presence of AERD and levels of FeNO, sPON, and uEDN were significantly associated with higher uLTE4 levels in asthmatics. Conclusion CysLTs are associated with type 2 inflammation in the airways of asthmatic patients, contributing to the development of AERD, CRS, and asthma severity. The stratification of clinical phenotypes according to the uLTE4 level could support optimizing anti-inflammatory therapy for better control of asthma.

Noncirrhotic hyperammonemia as a cause of acute confusion remains diagnostic challenge. Deficiency of ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) is the urea cycle disorder, inborn errors caused by a defect of the enzymes in the urea cycle, leading to an accumulation of ammonia mainly in newborn. There were very few cases, in which OTC deficiency result in hyperammonemia in adulthood. Herein, we report a young adult woman of hyperammonemic encephalopathy with OTC deficiency, diagnosed by high blood ammonia, glutamine and low plasma levels of citrulline. Next generation sequencing showed the c.386+5G>A mutation of the OTC gene.

Idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis (IPH) is a rare disease affecting mostly children. This disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of hemoptysis, bilateral diffuse pulmonary infiltrates, and iron-deficiency anemia. An acute fulminant alveolar hemorrhage can be fatal due to respiratory failure, while chronic hemorrhage leads to hemosiderin-laden macrophages and pulmonary fibrosis. Genetic, autoimmune, allergic, environmental, and metabolic mechanisms of pathogenesis have been suggested, but the etiology of IPH remains unknown. We report on a 9-year-old girl with idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis who showed seasonal recurrences without cause.
Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Child ; Hemoptysis ; Hemorrhage ; Hemosiderosis ; Humans ; Lung Diseases ; Macrophages ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; Rare Diseases ; Recurrence ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Seasons