Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) caused by infection with E. multilocularis metacestode, represents one of the most fatal helminthic diseases. AE is principally manifested with infiltrative, proliferating hepatic mass, resembling primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Sometimes metastatic lesions are found in nearby or remote tissue. AE diagnosis largely depends on imaging studies, but atypical findings of imaging features frequently require differential diagnosis from other hepatic lesions. Serological tests may provide further evidence, while obtaining reliable AE materials is not easy. In this study, alternative antigens, specific to AE were identified by analyzing E. granulosus protoscolex proteins. An immunoblot analysis of E. granulosus protoscolex showed that a group of low-molecular-weight proteins in the range from 14 kDa to 16 kDa exhibited a sensitive and specific immune response to AE patient sera. Partial purification and proteomic analysis indicated that this protein group contained myosin, tubulin polymerization promoting protein, fatty-acid binding protein, uncharacterized DM9, heat shock protein 90 cochaperone tebp P-23, and antigen S. When the serological applicability of recombinant forms of these proteins was assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, DM9 protein (rEgDM9) showed 90.1% sensitivity (73/81 sera tested) and 94.5% specificity (172/181 sera tested), respectively. rEgDM9 showed weak cross-reactions with patient sera from the transitional and chronic stages of cystic echinococcosis (3 to 5 stages). rEgDM9 would serve as a useful alternative antigen for serodiagnosis of both early- and advanced-stage AE cases.

No abstract available.
Abdominal Pain* ; Child* ; Gastritis* ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans

The coronary arteries of young individuals are histologically studied. Fourteen cases in pediatric age group and three adult hearts were used. No case had clinical and pathological evidences of heart disease. Inner circumference, thickness of tunicae intima, media and adventitia were measured at eight different sites of coronary arteries. The thickness of tunica media was used as a standard scale of cardiac growth, and the heart weight, body weight, height and age were compared with the medial thickness. The morphological changes were assessed in five groups by the heart weights. Group I ( less than 10 gm) showed single endothelial lining with cytoplasmic vacuolization or endothelial denudation. Group II (more than 10 but less than 20 gm) consisted of full term babies and showed first stigma of focal intimal thickening and intimal collagen fibers. Diffuse intimal thickening more than 1/1 of medial thickness was first seen in a case with 46 gm of heart weight. Elastic fiber was not seen in internal elastic laminae of groups I and II. Fragmentation of internal elastic lamina and smooth muscle proliferation as a form of musculoelastic layer were the major findings of intimal thickening in childhood and no case showed complicated atherosclerotic lesions.
Child ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans

The ligamentum nuchae is a midline structure extending from the occiput to the spinous process of the 7th cervical vertebra. Radio-opaque formations in the soft tissues behind the processes of the cervical spine has been known to radiologists since Barsony's description in 1929. It may actually be a normal sesamoid, or it may have developed as a result of previous trauma. But this remains hypothetical in that histological endochondral ossification sequence has not yet been demonstrated. These are generally asymptomatic and of clinical significance only in so far as they may be confused with fracture or tumors. Two patients who had clinical symptoms with or without previous trauma visited and they were relieved of their clinical symptoms by surgical excision. Then, we report on two unusual cases which were symptomatic.
Humans ; Spine

PSTT has been established as a separate entity distinct from choriocarcinoma since 1983, because of its different morphological features, biologic behavior and response to chemotherapy. Most cases of PSTT have indolent clinical courses, but there have been several reports showing malignant behavior resulted in death of the patient. We report a case of PSTT showing vaginal metastatis. In biopsy specimen, it was difficult to make differential diagnosis from squamous cell carcinoma of uterine cervix due to uniform and mononuclear cytologic characteristics. Immunohistochemical stains for hPL and hCG were not typical for either PSTT or choriocarcinoma. We suggest that poorly differentiated PSTT may synthesize the lesser amount of hPL than typical PSTT and it may behave more aggressively.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Biopsy

No abstract available.
Free Tissue Flaps* ; Maxilla*

Thanatophoric dysplasia is the most common lethal congenital chondrodysplasia with characteristic features of narrow thorax, short rib, severe platyspondyly, short bowed limbs and skull deformity, etc. It is not a hereditary disorder and there is usually no family history of dysplasia. We experienced a case of thanatophoric dysplasia at 38 weeks of gestation with antenatal sonographic and abdominal radiographic findings of small thorax, short bowed extremities with surrounding thickened soft tissues and marked platyspondyly. Soon atter delivery, the baby died and post-mortem radiographs showed the characteristic findings of thanatophoric dysplasia.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Extremities ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Ribs ; Skull ; Thanatophoric Dysplasia* ; Thorax ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Discrepancies exist in the existing researches regarding the association between social capital and self-efficacy, and most of these researches have been done in developed countries. The aims of this study were to assess the independent association between individual social capital and self-efficacy and to assess the associations between individual social capital, self-efficacy and self-rated health. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Gyeongnam health survey (6,500 persons) conducted in 2008. A self-administered questionnaire was additionally administered to gather information on demographic variables, health behaviors, chronic diseases, self-efficacy, social capital, and self-rated health status. Total study population was 3,843 as those with chronic diseases were excluded. RESULTS: In males, trust was positively associated with confidence and preference to task difficulty, and participation was negatively associated with confidence and positively associated with regulation and preference to task difficulty. In females, trust was positively associated with confidence and preference to task difficulty and negatively associated with regulation. Participation was positively associated with preference to task difficulty. In males, the odds for self-rated health status was better for persons with confidence (95% confidence interval, CI 1.088-1.705), trust (95% CI 1.172-1.821) and participation (95% CI 1.268-2.117). In females, the odds for self-rated health status was better for those with confidence (95% CI 1.250-1.803), preference of task difficulty (95% CI 1.019-1.683) and participation (95% CI 1.024-1.555). CONCLUSIONS: High social capital measured at an individual level may promote self-efficacy and health status.
Chronic Disease ; Developed Countries ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Male ; Self Efficacy ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.

Neurilemmomas of the trachea are extremely rare. The most common site of them is the distal third of the trachea and the age of the patients at presentation varied from 6 to 78 years old. They usually have a freqeuntly very long natural history, causing symptoms only after they have attained a considerable size. We experienced a case of near-total obstruction of the trachea by an intraluminal sessile neurilemmoma. The patient was a 66-year-old man with 2-year history of progressive exertional dyspnea and had several episodes of pneumonitis associated with productive cough. Grossly, the tumor was a well-circumscribed mass. Microscopically, typical cellular Antoni A and myxoid Antoni B areas were revealed.
Aged ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Natural History ; Neurilemmoma* ; Pneumonia ; Trachea