Background: Increased sebum secretion is considered the main causative factor in the pathogenesis of acne. There is an unmet pharmacological need for a novel drug that can control sebum production with a favorable adverse effect profile. Objective: To investigate the effect of azidothymidine on lipid synthesis in sebocytes and to identify the underlying mechanism of the inhibitory effect of azidothymidine on insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1-induced lipid synthesis in sebocytes. Methods: Immortalized human sebocytes were used for the analysis. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and Oil Red O staining were performed to evaluate lipid synthesis in the sebocytes. The differentiation, lipid synthesis, mitochondrial biogenesis, and mitophagy in sebocytes were investigated. Results: TLC and Oil Red O staining revealed that azidothymidine reduced IGF-1 induced lipid synthesis in the immortalized human sebocytes. Azidothymidine also reduced IGF-1-induced expression of transcriptional factors and enzymes involved in sebocyte differentiation and lipid synthesis, respectively. Moreover, we found that IGF-1 upregulated the levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1α, LC-3B, p62, and Parkin, major regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy in immortalized human sebocytes. In contrast, azidothymidine inhibited IGF-1 induced mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy in the sebocytes. Conclusion These results suggest that azidothymidine downregulates IGF-1-induced lipogenesis by dysregulating the quality of mitochondria through suppression of mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy in immortalized human sebocytes. Our study provides early evidence that azidothymidine may be an effective candidate for a new pharmacological agent for controlling lipogenesis in sebocytes.

Background: Increased sebum secretion is considered the main causative factor in the pathogenesis of acne. There is an unmet pharmacological need for a novel drug that can control sebum production with a favorable adverse effect profile. Objective: To investigate the effect of azidothymidine on lipid synthesis in sebocytes and to identify the underlying mechanism of the inhibitory effect of azidothymidine on insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1-induced lipid synthesis in sebocytes. Methods: Immortalized human sebocytes were used for the analysis. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and Oil Red O staining were performed to evaluate lipid synthesis in the sebocytes. The differentiation, lipid synthesis, mitochondrial biogenesis, and mitophagy in sebocytes were investigated. Results: TLC and Oil Red O staining revealed that azidothymidine reduced IGF-1 induced lipid synthesis in the immortalized human sebocytes. Azidothymidine also reduced IGF-1-induced expression of transcriptional factors and enzymes involved in sebocyte differentiation and lipid synthesis, respectively. Moreover, we found that IGF-1 upregulated the levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1α, LC-3B, p62, and Parkin, major regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy in immortalized human sebocytes. In contrast, azidothymidine inhibited IGF-1 induced mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy in the sebocytes. Conclusion These results suggest that azidothymidine downregulates IGF-1-induced lipogenesis by dysregulating the quality of mitochondria through suppression of mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy in immortalized human sebocytes. Our study provides early evidence that azidothymidine may be an effective candidate for a new pharmacological agent for controlling lipogenesis in sebocytes.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of adjuvant external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) on local failure-free survival rate (LFFS) for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) invading the trachea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-six patients with locally advanced PTC invading the trachea were treated with surgical resection. After surgery, 21 patients received adjuvant EBRT and radioactive iodine therapy (EBRT group) and 35 patients were treated with radioactive iodine therapy (control group). RESULTS: The age range was 26–87 years (median, 56 years). The median follow-up period was 43 months (range, 4 to 145 months). EBRT doses ranged from 50.4 to 66 Gy (median, 60 Gy). Esophagus invasion and gross residual disease was more frequent in the EBRT group. In the control group, local recurrence developed in 9 (9/35, 26%) and new distant metastasis in 2 (2/35, 6%) patients, occurring 4 to 68 months (median, 37 months) and 53 to 68 months (median, 60 months) after surgery, respectively. Two patients had simultaneous local recurrence and new distant metastasis. There was one local failure in the EBRT group at 18 months after surgery (1/21, 5%). The 5-year LFFS was 95% in the EBRT group and 63% in the control group (p = 0.103). In the EBRT group, one late grade 2 xerostomia was developed. CONCLUSION: Although, EBRT group had a higher incidence of esophagus invasion and gross residual disease, EBRT group showed a better 5-year LFFS. Adjuvant EBRT may have contributed to the better LFFS in these patients.
Esophagus ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Iodine ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Survival Rate ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Trachea* ; Xerostomia

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Athletes generally desire changes in body composition in order to enhance their athletic performance. Often, athletes will practice chronic energy restrictions to attain body composition changes, altering their energy needs. Prediction of resting metabolic rates (RMR) is important in helping to determine an athlete's energy expenditure. This study compared measured RMR of athletic and non-athletic adolescents with predicted RMR from commonly used prediction equations to identify the most accurate equation applicable for adolescent athletes. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 50 athletes (mean age of 16.6 +/- 1.0 years, 30 males and 20 females) and 50 non-athletes (mean age of 16.5 +/- 0.5 years, 30 males and 20 females) were enrolled in the study. The RMR of subjects was measured using indirect calorimetry. The accuracy of 11 RMR prediction equations was evaluated for bias, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and Bland-Altman analysis. RESULTS: Until more accurate prediction equations are developed, our findings recommend using the formulas by Cunningham (-29.8 kcal/day, limits of agreement -318.7 and +259.1 kcal/day) and Park (-0.842 kcal/day, limits of agreement -198.9 and +196.9 kcal/day) for prediction of RMR when studying male adolescent athletes. Among the new prediction formulas reviewed, the formula included in the fat-free mass as a variable [RMR = 730.4 + 15 x fat-free mass] is paramount when examining athletes. CONCLUSIONS: The RMR prediction equation developed in this study is better in assessing the resting metabolic rate of Korean athletic adolescents.
Adolescent* ; Athletes ; Athletic Performance ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Body Composition ; Calorimetry, Indirect ; Energy Metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Sports*

Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is an allergic skin disease with characteristic clinical features associated with immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. Identification of the causative allergens is the diagnostic goal, which is essential to treat and manage CAD patients. CAD is commonly associated with environmental allergens surrounding the patients. For this reason, it is important for diagnostic tests to select allergens that are related to the environment of each country and each province. There are two main allergen-specific tests, serological IgE test (SAT) and intradermal skin test (IDT). SAT did not show direct cutaneous reaction but did show serological reaction against allergens. However, SAT is simpler and more convenient than IDT in small animal practice. In this study, we selected domestically prevalent allergens for SAT, including 60 food allergens and 60 inhalant allergens, and tested eight dogs tentatively diagnosed with CAD based on Favrot's criteria. Furthermore, IDT was performed on four dogs from the SAT group for comparison of SAT and IDT, and the results were very similar. In SAT, four types of mites (Bloomia tropicalis, Glycophagus domesticus, Euroglyphus maynei, and mite mixture 1 Korea; house dust mites), four types of molds (Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria alternata, mold fungi mixture 11, mold fungi mixture), and one type of pollen (tree pollen mix 3 Korea) induced a reaction in more than half of dogs tested. In IDT, all four dogs reacted positively to Dermatophagoides farinae, and three reacted positively to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and house dust. The mean agreement rate between SAT and IDT in this study was 76.3%. This is the first trial to apply local allergens for SAT in Korean veterinary medicine, and it might play an important role for diagnoses and management of animal allergic diseases.
Allergens ; Alternaria ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Dermatophagoides farinae ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Dogs ; Dust ; Fungi ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Immunoglobulins* ; Korea ; Mites ; Pollen ; Prevalence* ; Pyroglyphidae ; Serologic Tests ; Skin Diseases ; Skin Tests ; Veterinary Medicine

PURPOSE: Patients with Parkinson's disease also commonly have movement disorders, osteoporosis, and other comorbidities. These patients are more likely to have complications after spinal surgery. The aim of the present study is to show the relation ship between complications of spinal surgery and Parkinson's disease. METHODS: A computerized search using diagnostic and procedural codes identified 13 patients with Parkinson's disease who underwent spinal surgery between January 1998 and December 2010. Their medical records and imaging studies were reviewed and recent updatesfor all patients were done by telephone interview. RESULTS: Retrospectively, 13 consecutive patients were reviewed. The mean age was 63.8 (range 44~87) years old and the mean durationof Parkinson's disease was 7.6 (range 1~22) years at the time of the index procedure. The mean T score of the lumbar spine on Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan bone mineral density (BMD) was -2.5 (range -1.0~-5.1). These patients had nine lumbar lesions, two thoracic lesions, one cervical lesion, and one thoracolumbar lesion. Nine patients required no more surgical treatment for lesions which had been previously operated on (index level). However, four patients (30.8%) needed at least one more operation related to their index procedure; segmental degeneration on the adjacent levels in two, retropulsion of an intervertebral cage with screw loosening in one, and pedicle fracture in one. CONCLUSION: It has been reported that patients with Parkinson's disease have high complication rates in spinal surgery. Spine surgeons should be aware of the risk of complications and need to conduct careful follow-up after the surgery.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Bone Density ; Comorbidity ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Movement Disorders ; Osteoporosis ; Parkinson Disease ; Retrospective Studies ; Ships ; Spine ; Telephone

Thus far, the role of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) after radical cystectomy (RC) in urinary bladder cancer patients has yet to be defined. The purpose of this study is to analyze patterns of failure, and suggest the rationale for RT. Between 1986 and 2005, a total of 259 patients treated with RC and pelvic lymph node dissection was enrolled. The age range was 27-82 yr (median, 62 yr). Node positivity increased according to tumor staging. Patients were divided into the following two groups based on pathologic analysis: organ-confined disease group (n=135) and extravesical/lymph node-positive disease group (n=80). Pelvic failures (PF) were observed in 8 (4.9%) in organ-confined disease group, and 21 (21.7%) in extravesical/lymph node-positive disease group. Five-year PF-free survival rates were 91.2% in organ-confined disease group and 68.0% in extravesical/lymph node-positive disease group. Five-year cancer-specific survival rates were 86.2% in organ-confined disease group and 53.9% in extravesical/lymph node-positive disease group. In conclusion, a relatively high PF rate was observed in extravesical lymph node-negative and lymph node-positive disease patients in this study. Adjuvant pelvic RT may be considered to reduce pelvic failures in extravesical lymph node-positive bladder cancer. Future prospective trials are required to test the clinical benefit of adjuvant RT.

PURPOSE: The causes of acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) are mostly attributable to viral infection, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), parainfluenza virus (PIV), influenza virus A/ B (IFV A/ B), or adenovirus (ADV). Several Korean studies reported human metapneumovirus (hMPV) as a common pathogen of ALRTI. However, studies on seasonal distribution and clinical differences relative to other viruses are insufficient, prompting us to perform this study. METHODS: From November 2006 to October 2007, we tested nasopharyngeal aspiration specimens in children hospitalized with ALRTI with the multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction to identify 6 kinds of common pathogen (hMPV, RSV, PIV, IFV A/ B, and ADV). We analyzed positive rates and clinical features by retrospective chart review. RESULTS: We detected 38 (8.4%) hMPV-positive cases out of 193 (41.8%) virus-positive specimens among 462 patients. HMPV infection prevailed from March to June with incidence peaking in April. HMPV-positive patients were aged 1-5 years (76.3%), and the ratio of boys to girls was 1.2:1. The median age was 27 months. HMPV primarily caused pneumonia (76.3%) (P=0.018). Average hospitalization of HMPV-associated ALRTI patients was 5.8 days. In addition, they showed parahilar peribronchial infiltration (100%) on chest X-ray, normal white blood cell count (73.7%), and negative C-reactive protein (86.8%) (P>0.05). All hMPV-positive patients recovered without complication. CONCLUSION: HMPV is a common pathogen of ALRTI in Korean children, especially in 1-5 year olds, from March to May. Immunocompetent children diagnosed with hMPV-associated ALRTI may have a good prognosis.
Adenoviridae ; Aged ; C-Reactive Protein ; Child ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukocyte Count ; Metapneumovirus ; Orthomyxoviridae ; Paramyxoviridae Infections ; Pneumonia ; Prognosis ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses ; Respiratory System ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons ; Thorax ; Viruses

Medical education is the process of transforming a layman into a medical professional. Anatomy is a major, primary subject for students entering medical school. How students learn anatomy is important for becoming a doctor. The object of this study is to determine what influences students to get their values and attitudes as an altruistic healer, and to develop professional competence from educational courses in the medical school. We focused on how the lessons and disciplines of the anatomy course guided medical students to become doctors. Interviews of narrative inquiry were conducted in which the students and graduates talked about the experience of learning in their course-work. Anatomy is an important subject for medical students, at both the cognitive and the emotional level. Through learning anatomy, students adapt their emotions and attitudes to the medical profession and become bona fide medical students. They face very stressful condition at first, but they learn how to adapt to their circumstances. They studied with passion, and could develop their own way of studying. Besides, they felt that they were gradually becoming health experts by learning medical terminology, and could enhance their professionalism by practicing anatomy. Indelible experiences in dissection laboratory and rite in memory of cadaver donors evoke deep reflection on thankfulness and altruism. This study addressing the issue of altruistic professionalism in anatomy will have to be continued by following students into the preclinical and clinical years. Public concerns with commercialism in teaching hospitals and schools are also emphasized.
Altruism ; Cadaver ; Education, Medical ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Learning ; Memory ; Professional Competence ; Schools, Medical ; Students, Medical ; Tissue Donors

Despite the increasing use of the rectal balloon in prostate cancer radiotherapy, many issues still remain to be verified objectively including its positional reproducibility and relevance to treatment morbidity. We have developed a custom rectal balloon that has a scale indicating the depth of insertion and dilates symmetrically ensuring positional reproducibility. Fifty patients with prostate cancer treated by definitive 3D-conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) or intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with rectal balloon were analyzed. Each of first five patients undergone computed tomography (CT) three times with a rectal balloon. The positional reproducibility was tested by Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) from the CT-to-CT fusion images. Planning variables and clinical acute toxicities were compared between when or not applying balloon. An ICC of greater than 0.9 in all directions revealed an excellent reproducibility of the balloon. Rectal balloon improved considerably the mean dose and V(45Gy)-V(65Gy) in plan comparison, and especially in 3D-CRT the rectal volume exposed to more than 60 Gy dropped from 41.3% to 19.5%. Clinically, the balloon lowered acute toxicity, which was lowest when both the balloon and IMRT were applied simultaneously. The rectal balloon carries excellent reproducibility and reduces acute toxicity in 3D-CRT and IMRT for prostate cancer.
Balloon Dilatation/*methods ; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prostatic Neoplasms/*radiotherapy ; Radiotherapy, Conformal ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; *Rectum ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome