HIV-1 p24 was cloned into multiple cloning site of pMV261, extrachromosomal expression vectors carrying BCG replication origin and BCG-specific heat-shock promoter, and then introduced into BCG and E. coli. Western blot experiments showed that the p24 efficiently expressed in recombinant BCG (rBCG), but not in E. coli. Recombinant p24 expression induced by a single heat-shock of rBCG was maintained longer than 3 weeks. Immunoblot experiments with intact rBCG did not show any distinctive positive signal, suggesting that the recombinant protein was not secreted or exposed at the surface of BCG. The guinea pigs immunized with live rBCG showed delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) by the systemic area as well as an effective humoral immunity, suggesting that tbis rBCG is believed to elicit eKcient immune responses against p24, even though the expression is restricted only in the cytoplasm as reported previously with other antigen. These results demonstrate that BCG can be developed as a live recombinant vaccine vector against a broad spectrum of infectious disease.
Animals* ; Blotting, Western ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; Communicable Diseases ; Cytoplasm ; Guinea Pigs ; HIV* ; HIV-1 ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunity, Humoral ; Mycobacterium bovis* ; Replication Origin

BACKGROUND: Dizziness due to brain lesions manifests mainly in infratentorial lesions, with few cases related to supratentorial lesions having been reported. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical characteristics and demographic factors of patients with dizziness caused by cerebral infarction and to determine the site of the brain where supratentorial lesions are most prevalent. METHODS: Patients with prominent dizziness who visited the emergency room of Gachon University Gil Hospital between July 2006 and July 2007 were included. Among them, 101 patients with acute cerebral infarction were categorized into supratentorial (n=51) and infratentorial (n=50) groups based on brain MRI. Demographics and clinical characteristics of dizziness in each group were compared, and common brain sites of the supratentorial group were assessed. RESULTS: The nature of the dizziness differed between the supratentorial group (vertigo, 27.4%; presyncope, 5.9%; disequilibrium, 29.4%; ocular, 11.8%; and nonspecific, 25.5%) and the infratentorial group (vertigo, 50.0%; presyncope, 6.0%; disequilibrium, 32.0%; ocular, 0%; and nonspecific, 12.0%; p=0.02). The duration of dizziness was shorter in the supratentorial than the infratentorial group (p<0.01). In the supratentorial group, common sites of the lesion were the thalamus (19.6%) and frontoparietal lobe (15.7%). The lesion usually appeared in the left hemisphere (60.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Dizziness from supratentorial lesions manifests in different ways, and its duration is shorter than that from infratentorial lesions. The central vestibular pathway may be located in the thalamus and frontoparietal lobe.
Brain ; Cerebral Infarction ; Demography ; Dizziness ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Infarction ; Syncope ; Thalamus

BACKGROUND: Barbed thread lifting is known to be a minimally invasive procedure compared with standard incisional surgery for facial rejuvenation. However, some studies have pointed out that the effects of thread lifting do not last long and disappear after several months. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency and duration of anchoring-type absorbable thread lifting combined with liposuction for facial rejuvenation. METHODS: A retrospective review of 27 cosmetic patients who underwent absorbable barbed thread lifting with liposuction between July 2013 and December 2015 was undertaken. The efficiency of facial rejuvenation was evaluated through a patient satisfaction score and the global aesthetic improvement scale (GAIS). RESULTS: Subjects were divided into two groups: thread lifting only and thread lifting combined with liposuction. The mean follow-up period of each group was 8.5 and 9.3 months, respectively. In the thread lifting-only group, the average patient satisfaction score was 2.36 (1=unsatisfied to 4=very satisfied), and the average GAIS score was 2.54 (1=very much improved to 5=worsen). In the thread lifting with liposuction group, the average patient satisfaction score was 3.06, and the average GAIS score was 1.85. CONCLUSIONS: Thread lifting combined with liposuction showed better patient satisfaction and GAIS results than thread lifting alone, even over a long follow-up period.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lifting ; Lipectomy ; Patient Satisfaction ; Rejuvenation ; Retrospective Studies ; Suture Anchors

No abstract available.
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors* ; Stroke*

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors related to the disclosure patterns of sexual abuse in children and adolescent victims. METHODS: A sample of 153 children and adolescents who visited the Sunflower children's Center (Incheon) between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2012 were analyzed. The medical records of the victims were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Ninety (58.8%) subjects made a disclosure of sexual abuse voluntarily. The revelation was most commonly made to a parent. The severity and duration of sexual abuse were related to the disclosure patterns. In addition, the group that displayed below average intelligence, particularly subjects in the group with borderline intellectual functioning, tended to disclose their history of abuse less voluntarily than the subjects with normal intelligence. CONCLUSION: The current study provides insight into the factors that affect disclosure patterns in children and adolescent sexual abuse victims. To prevent sexual abuse, we suggest that special legal assistance and social concern be required for children and adolescents with borderline intellectual functioning.
Adolescent* ; Child Abuse, Sexual ; Child* ; Disclosure* ; Helianthus ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Medical Records ; Parents ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Offenses*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among hope, self-care agency and quality of life of female oncology patients with lymphedema. METHODS: From May 2014 to April 2016, questionnaire responses of 102 patients diagnosed with secondary lymphedema were collected. The data of 100 patients were analysed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 21.0 program. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant correlation between hope and self-care agency. Self-care agency increased when participants had higher hope (r=.44, p < .001). Moreover, participants with higher Physical Component Summary (PCS) scores also had higher Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores (r=.77, p < .001). CONCLUSION: Educational programs and organized support for improving hope and PCS are needed to increase self-care agency and MCS of female cancer patients with secondary lymphedema.
Female* ; Hope* ; Humans ; Lymphedema* ; Quality of Life* ; Self Care*

BACKGROUND: Carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) is an early structural marker of the atherosclerotic process and an elevated total homocysteine level is an early biochemical marker of atherosclerosis. But there are few reports about serum homocysteine level and carotid IMT between ischemic stroke, hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (HICH) and control group. METHOD: We studied about 173 patients with ischemic stroke, HICH and control group. Carotid IMT was defined as the mean of IMT measured by B-mode ultrasonography. Serum homocysteine level was measured by fluorescence polarization immunoassay method in fasting state. We compared serum homocysteine level and carotid IMT between ischemic stroke, HICH and control group. In statistics, One-Way ANOVA was used. RESULTS: A significant increase in carotid IMT was noted in ischemic stroke and HICH compared with that in the control group (p<0.05), whereas there was no significant differences in carotid IMT between ischemic stroke and HICH. The serum homocysteine level of ischemic stroke was significantly higher than that of control group (p<0.05). But there were no significant differences between HICH and control group, HICH and ischemic stroke. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, we thought a carotid IMT of ischemic stroke, HICH and serum homocysteine level in ischemic stroke can be used as early diagnostic marker. Therefore, our results address the need of further prospective clinical studies in patients with ischemic stroke and HICH in order to evaluate a possible diagnostic ability of carotid IMT and serum homocysteine level.
Atherosclerosis ; Biomarkers ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness* ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Fasting ; Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay ; Homocysteine* ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhage, Hypertensive* ; Stroke* ; Ultrasonography

We report two cases of cutaneous Mycobacterium(M.) marinum infections in a 43-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman who had multiple subcutaneous nodules on the left upper extremity and an erythematous ulcer on the right elbow, respectively. Skin biopsy specimens revealed chronic granulamatous inflammation and AFB positive bacilli in the dermis. The culture from tissue specimens on Lowenstein-Jensen media at 30'C for 10 days, yielded cream-colored colonies, which became yellow when exposed to light. The organism was identified as M. marinum by selected biochemical reactions. The patients were treated with surgical excision followed by administration of minocycline and administration of minocycline, respectively.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Dermis ; Elbow ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Minocycline ; Mycobacterium marinum* ; Mycobacterium* ; Skin ; Ulcer ; Upper Extremity

In published article by Li et al., an author's name was misspelled.

Myasthenia gravis is an acquired autoimmune disorder characterized clinically by the weakness of skeletal muscles and fatigability on exertion. Autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, autoimmune thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, Sj?gren syndrome and polymyositis may be associated with myasthenia gravis. However, there are only a few reports of transverse myelitis with myasthenia gravis. We report a case of myasthenia gravis with recurrent transverse myelitis.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Myasthenia Gravis* ; Myelitis, Transverse* ; Polymyositis ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune