PURPOSE: The present study was designed to examine the distribution of dorsal root ganglion(DRG) cells innervating the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments of the Sprague-Dawley rat knee joint. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fluoro-gold(FG) was used to identify the distribution of DRG cells innervating the ligaments, and horseradish peroxidase(HRP) was used to measure the DRG cell size innervating the ligaments. RESULTS: Neural tracers-labelled DRG cells were found ipsilaterally only in the lumbosacra1 DRGs. FG-labelled DRG cells innervating the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments were found from the 1st lumbar DRG to the 1st sacral DOR(L1-Sl). The majority of FG-labelled DRG cells innervating the poste-rior cruciate ligaments were located in the L4, and the majority innervating the anterior cruciate ligaments were found in the L3, The size of HRP-labelled DRG cells innervating the cruciate ligaments was below 800 micromiter (c), showing that these cells were small. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the DRG origin of sensory nerves is different in each cruciate ligament of the knee joint. But the size and the type innervating each ligament is similar.
Animals ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Armoracia ; Cell Size ; Diagnosis-Related Groups ; Horseradish Peroxidase ; Knee Joint* ; Knee* ; Ligaments ; Posterior Cruciate Ligament* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Nerve Roots*

Systemic amyloidosis is an uncommon disease characterized by deposits of fibrillar aggregates of monoclonal immunoglobuloin light chains in vital organs. This amyloid deposit cause cardiac or renal dysfunction and ultimately, death. Cardiac amyloidosis may be asymptomatic or important causes of progressive heart failure and refractory arrhythmia. Cardiac involvement from AL amyloidosis is rapidly fatal. The amyloidoses are classified according to the biochemical nature of the fibril-forming protein. Cardiac amyloidosis is common in primary (AL) and heterofamilial amyloidosis and very rare in the secondary (AA) form. As we experienced a case of systemic amyloidosis affected heart, liver and kidney, which was confirmed by histology. We present a 57-year-old female case with literature review.
Amyloidosis* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Female ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Middle Aged ; Plaque, Amyloid

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between the mandibular asymmetry and the internal derangement of temporomandibular joint. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and sixty eight patients had been assessed through clinical examinations, panoramic radi-ographs and magnetic resonance imagings (MRIs), were selected. The samples were classified into three subgroups according to the severity of the mandibular asymmetries in the panoramic radiographs and the status of TMJ discs on the MRI were compared among each groups. RESULTS: In an apparent asymmetry group, there was a significant difference in the number of temporomandibular disk displacement without reduction between the long and short side (66.7%, 18/27 joints on the short side) when the ratio of condylar process and coro-noid process was used (P<0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference when the ratio of condyle and ramus was used. CONCLUSION: The probability of the disc displacement without reduction was higher at the side with relatively shorter condylar process on the panoramic radiograph, and also it might be more effective to use ratio of condylar process and coronoid process in the assessment of mandibular asymmetry. Therefore, a careful assessment on the temporomandibular disorders is necessary to diagnose and establish the treatment plans for the patients with a mandibular asymmetry and the panoramic radiograph can be used effectively on that way.
Humans ; Joints ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Temporomandibular Joint Disc* ; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders ; Temporomandibular Joint*

No abstract available.
Dinoprostone* ; Female ; Fertilization* ; Follicular Fluid* ; Humans*

Background: Previous studies showed that the prognosis for severe trauma patients is better after transport to trauma centers compared to non-trauma centers. However, the benefit from transport to trauma centers may differ according to age group. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of transport to trauma centers on survival outcomes in different age groups among severe trauma patients in Korea. Methods: Cross-sectional study using Korean national emergency medical service (EMS) based severe trauma registry in 2018–2019 was conducted. EMS-treated trauma patients whose injury severity score was above or equal to 16, and who were not out-of-hospital cardiac arrest or death on arrival were included. Patients were classified into 3 groups:pediatrics (age < 19), working age (age 19–65), and elderly (age > 65). The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of trauma center transport on outcome after adjusting of age, sex, comorbidity, mechanism of injury, Revised Trauma Score, and Injury Severity Score. All analysis was stratified according to the age group, and subgroup analysis for traumatic brain injury was also conducted. Results: Overall, total of 10,511 patients were included in the study, and the number of patients in each age group were 488 in pediatrics, 6,812 in working age, and 3,211 in elderly, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval [CI]) of trauma center transport on in-hospital mortality from were 0.76 (95% CI, 0.43–1.32) in pediatrics, 0.78 (95% CI, 0.68–0.90) in working age, 0.71(95% CI, 0.60–0.85) in elderly, respectively. In subgroup analysis of traumatic brain injury, the benefit from trauma center transport was observed only in elderly group. Conclusion We found out trauma centers showed better clinical outcomes for adult and elderly groups, excluding the pediatric group than non-trauma centers. Further research is warranted to evaluate and develop the response system for pediatric severe trauma patients in Korea.

No abstract available.
Amniocentesis* ; Cytogenetics*

Patients of choriocarcinoma with brain metastases are considered to have a very poor prognosis due to chemo-refractoriness and recurrence. So, selection and individualization of patients then followed by multimodality therapy are very important. We present a case of a patient who experienced twice of craniotomies due to intracranial hemorrhage and an emergent explorative laparotomy due to intestinal perforation of the metastatic sites of choriocarcinoma. She was treated with 12 cycles of high-dose MTX/EMA-CO, intrathecal MTX and WBRT. Eventually she has obtained a complete remission that ongoing for 2 years. So, we report this case with a brief review of the literatures.
Brain* ; Choriocarcinoma* ; Craniotomy ; Female ; Humans ; Intestinal Perforation ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Laparotomy ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Pregnancy ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence linking infection with Chlamydophila pneumoniae with vascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction. However, the data remain inconclusive and the clinical importance of C. pneumoniae as vasculopathic is unclear. So, we intend to detect C. pneumoniae in acute myocardial infarction patients by microimmunofluorescence (mIF) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). METHODS: Blood and peripheral mononuclear cells (PMNCs) of 24 myocardial infarction patients and 100 normal controls were collected. Serum were used in mIF and PMNCs in PCR. PMNC sample were tested for C. pneumoniae by 'touchdown 'nested PCR. The first round PCR amplified DNA from both C. pneumoniae and Chlamydophila psittaci, while the second round specially targeted C. pneumoniae allowing the two species to be differentiated. RESULTS: Seropositivity of IgG and IgM anti-Chlamydophila pneumoniae antibody titers were 95.8% and 25% in myocardial infarction patients and 61% and 16% in control group, respectively. Positive rates of PCR of PMNCs were 8.3% in the patients and 15% in control group. CONCLUSION: The results of mIF show that mIF positive rate in myocardial infarction was much higher than control group. So an association between C. pneumoniae and myocardial infarction can be concluded. But the opposite results of PCR of PMNCs needed further studies.
Atherosclerosis ; Chlamydial Pneumonia* ; Chlamydophila pneumoniae* ; Chlamydophila psittaci ; Chlamydophila* ; DNA ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Pneumonia ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Vascular Diseases

PURPOSE: Heptaplatin (SKI-2053 R) is a new platinum analogue, with a better toxicity profile than cisplatin, and has antitumor activity even in cisplatin resistant cell lines. 5-fluoruracil (5-FU) has shown synergy with platinum compounds. This phase II trial was designed to determine the efficacy and toxicities of heptaplatin/ 5-FU (5-fluorouracil) for treating stomach cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two patients with advanced, measurable gastric adenocarcinomas were enrolled in this trial. The treatment consisted of heptaplatin, 400 mg/m2/day (1 hour IV infusion), on day 1 and 5-FU, 800 mg/m2/day (12 hours IV infusion), on days 1 to 5. The cycles were repeated every 3 weeks. RESULTS: Of the 26 evaluable patients, 9 had partial responses and 1a complete response (overall response rate, 38%; 95% confidence interval, 19~57%). The median response duration was 23 weeks (range: 4~60 weeks). The median time to progression was 26 weeks (range: 3~68 weeks). The grades III-IV toxicities were mostly hematological toxicities: leucopenia was observed in 11 patients (35%) and thrombocytopenia 4 (13%). No definite neuropathy was observed. Grade I-II nephropathy was also noted: grade I high BUN/creatinine levels occurred in 5 patients (16%), grade II proteinuria 2 (6%), grade I proteinuria 5 (16%). Neutropenic fever developed in 5 patients (16%) and 1 died of pneumonia in a neutropenic state. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the regimen of Heptaplatin/5-FU should be effective and have a favorable toxicity profile for the patients suffering with advanced stomach cancer.
Adenocarcinoma ; Cell Line ; Cisplatin ; Drug Therapy ; Fever ; Fluorouracil ; Humans ; Leucovorin* ; Platinum ; Platinum Compounds ; Pneumonia ; Proteinuria ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach* ; Thrombocytopenia

BACKGROUND: In recent years, knowledge of bacterial resistance to antimicobials has expanded in important ways. Availability of an increasing number of antibiotics allows more precise individualization of resistance phenotypes and recording susceptibility results as patterns or phenotypes is valuable for both surveillance and patient care. If the patterns of resistance to panels of related antimicrobials are considered the underlying mechanisms can often be inferred. And the inferred mechanisms make the clinician to be advised to use alternative treatment. Interpretation of resistance phenotypes is based on the comparison of clinical isolates with prototype susceptible bacteria belonging to the same species. But interpretative reading of antimicrobial susceptibility tests requires an immense knowledge of antibiotics. Such interpretative reading is best achieved by computerized expert systems. METHODS: The authors attempt to determine phenotypes for the clinically isolated strains for each class of drugs tested by the Vitek 2 systemTM(bioMerieux, Marcy I'Etoile, France) using the Advanced Expert SystemTM(AES, bioMerieux, Marcy I'Etoile, France). A total of 91, 107, 89, 65, 251, 113, 47, 33, 23, 122 and 110 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase negative staphylococci, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus facium, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosae and Acinetobacter baumannii, were examined respectively. RESULTS: Biological correction based on the phenotype was recommended from 2.2% of E. faecalis to 46.8% of S. marcescens and therapeutic correction, from 7.3% of A. baumannii to 60.9% of E. aerogenes. A total of 25, 26, 18, 19, 22, 22, 15, 15, 17, 19, 19 phenotypes of S. aureus, coagulase negative staphylococci, E. faecalis, E. facium, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, S. marcescens, E. cloacae, E. aerogenes, P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii, were detected respectively. Association of resistance mechanism from S. aureus, coagulase negative staphylococci, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, S. marcescens, show 10, 11, 6, 4 and 3 pairs from resistant phenotypes, respectively. CONCLUSION: Vitek AES potentially provides a tool to assist the development of antimicrobial susceptibility interpretation in the clinical microbiology laboratory. The inferred mechanisms make the clinician to be advised to use alternative treatment.
Acinetobacter baumannii ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Cloaca ; Coagulase ; Enterobacter aerogenes ; Enterobacter cloacae ; Enterococcus ; Enterococcus faecalis ; Escherichia coli ; Expert Systems ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Patient Care ; Phenotype* ; Pneumonia ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Serratia marcescens ; Staphylococcus aureus