BACKGROUND: Previous reports have suggested that alleles at the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene are associated with increased risk of developing coronary artery disease, including myocardial infarction and stroke through their effect on PAI-1 levels. Method: We attempted to search English literatures for all reports of possible effects of PAI-1 gene on cardiovascular disease in human published prior to November 1998. We used a Mantel-Haenszel method (fixed effect model) and random effect model, respectively, to perform a meta-analysis of 7 case-control studies that provided information related to the effects of PAI-1 gene on risk of cardiovascular disease. RESULTS: From 7 studies for diagnosed cardiovascular disease, the relative frequencies of the three genotypes among controls was (5G/5G) (homozygous normal), 24.5%; (4G/5G) (heterozygous), 48.2%, and (4G/4G) (homozygous for the mutant, 675 GGGG), 27.3%. These relative frequencies in cases were 21.7% for 5G/5G, 48.0% for 4G/5G, and 30.3% for 4G/4G. In fixed effect model, compared with those with genotype (5G/5G), the overall odds ratio (OR) for cardiovascular disease among those with (4G/5G) was 1.12 (95% CI, 0.93 to 1.34), and it was 1.20 (1.01 to 1.44) for the (4G/4G) genotype. For five studies with myocardial infarction as the outcome, the overall OR of myocardial infarction was 1.20 (0.99 to 1.47) for those with (4G/5G) and 1.24 (1.00, 1.54) for those with (4G/4G) genotypes, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide support for the weak association between PAI-1 gene and cardiovascular disease, in particular, myocardial infarction.
Alleles ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Case-Control Studies* ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Odds Ratio ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1* ; Plasminogen Activators ; Polymorphism, Genetic* ; Stroke

Lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas is a very rare lesion of unknown etiology. It is difficult, on the basis of radiologic images, to differentiate between lymphoepithelial cyst and pancreatic pseudocyst or other cystic neoplasms, particularly if these are mucinous. We describe the sonographic and CT findings in a case of surgically proven lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas.
Mucins ; Pancreas* ; Pancreatic Pseudocyst ; Ultrasonography

Acquired tumors of the nonpigmented ciliary epithelium are rare diseases. They are difficult to diagnose and present as pseudoadenomatous hyperplasia, adenoma or adenocarcinoma. They exhibit slowly progressive enlargement leading to a subluxated lens, cataract, and secondary glaucoma. And some of the more malignant tumors may extend extrasclerally. We report a case of adenoma of nonpigmented ciliary epithelium which produced a cataract.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenoma* ; Cataract ; Epithelium* ; Glaucoma ; Hyperplasia ; Rare Diseases

PURPOSE: Recently, component-resolved diagnosis (CRD) using microarray technology has been introduced to the field of clinical allergy. This study was aimed to investigate the clinical usefulness of microarray-based IgE detection for diagnosing clinical raw fruit allergy in birch pollen-sensitized children. METHODS: Thirty-one children with allergic disease who had been sensitized to pollen were studied. A pollen-sensitized patient was defined as having an allergen-specific history with concomitant positive skin-prick tests (SPTs) to natural allergen extracts or positive allergen-specific IgE. All subjects underwent SPTs for pollen and fruit. In all subjects, specific IgE to pollen and fruit were measured by ImmunoCAP. Specific IgE antibodies to allergen components were determined by a customized allergen microarray (ISAC). RESULTS: Thirteen of the 31 patients (41.9%) had a history of fruit hypersensitivity with positive SPTs. Measuring IgE to allergen components by ISAC, all the 13 patients with fruit hypersensitivity were positive to at least one of Mal d 1, Pru p 1, Pru p 3, Act d 8, and Act d 2 compared to 12 of the 13 patients (92.3%) who had at least 1 positive IgE to fruits (apple, peach, and kiwi) using ImmunoCAP. The sensitivity of ISAC microarray was 100.0% for the diagnosis of fruit hypersensitivity, but its specificity was 27.7% (5/18). The sensitivity of ImmunoCAP was 92.3%, and its specificity was 83.3%. CONCLUSION: The sensitivity of allergen components tested using microarray for the diagnosis of clinical fruit hypersensitivity in children with pollen allergy was high; however, its specificity was low.
Antibodies ; Betula* ; Child* ; Diagnosis* ; Fruit* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Immunoglobulin E ; Pollen* ; Prunus persica ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal

PURPOSE: Epidemiological data indicate that obesity is a risk factor in asthma, however effects related to obesity and adipokines on airway inflammation and bronchial hyper-responsiveness (BHR) have not yet been demonstrated in the human airway. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum adipokine levels and BHR to mannitol in asthmatic children. METHODS: Serum adipokine levels were measured and pulmonary function tests were perfomed: baseline, postbronchodilator inhalation, methacholine inhalation, and mannitol inhalation. The response to mannitol was expressed as the dose causing a 15% decrease in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) (PD15), and as the response-dose ratio (RDR) (% fall in FEV1/cumulative dose). RESULTS: Sixty-nine prepubertal children between the ages of 6 and 10 years were participated in the study. They comprised asthmatic children (n=40) and healthy (n=29). Twenty-two subjects (55.5%) with asthma had a positive mannitol bronchial provocation test (BPT) result. The body mass index (BMI) was higher in those asthmatics with positive mannitol BPTs than in asthmatics with negative mannitol BPTs and in the control group (19.30 kg/m2 vs. 17.60 kg/m2 vs. 17.93 kg/m2, P=0.035, P=0.046). Serum leptin levels were also significantly higher in asthmatics with positive mannitol BPTs than in asthmatics with negative mannitol BPTs and in the control group (10.58 ng/mL vs. 5.49 ng/mL vs. 6.75 ng/mL, P=0.002, P=0.016). Leptin values were significantly associated with a PD15 (r=-0.498, P=0.022) and RDR to mannitol (r=0.346, P=0.033) in asthmatic children after adjustment for BMI. CONCLUSION: Serum leptin levels were significantly associated with BHR to mannitol in asthmatic children.
Adipokines ; Asthma ; Body Mass Index ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Child* ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Inhalation ; Leptin* ; Mannitol* ; Methacholine Chloride ; Obesity ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: Dysregulated cysteinyl leukotriene (CysLT) synthesis is prominent in exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). Secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) plays a key regulatory role in the biosynthesis of CysLTs. We previously found that serum leptin levels correlate with (EIB) in children with asthma. The aim of this study was to address the relationship between plasma sPLA2/leptin levels and EIB. METHODS: Sixty-seven prepubertal children between the ages of 6 and 10 years were included in the study. They were asthmatics with EIB (n=25), asthmatics without EIB (n=21), and healthy subjects (n=21). We measured the plasma sPLA2 and leptin levels. We also performed pulmonary function tests at baseline, after bronchodilator inhalation, and after exercise. RESULTS: The sPLA2 and leptin levels were significantly higher in asthmatics with EIB than in those without and control subjects. In addition, sPLA2 levels were significantly correlated with body mass index (Speraman correlation coefficient r=0.343, P=0.023) and leptin levels (partial correlation coefficient r=318, P=0.033). The maximum decrease in % forced expiratory volume in 1 second after exercise was significantly correlated with both PLA2 levels (r=0.301, P=0.041) and leptin levels (r=0.346, P=0.018). CONCLUSION: The sPLA2 and leptin levels were significantly higher in asthmatics with EIB than in asthmatics without EIB and control subjects. In addition, sPLA2 levels were significantly correlated with leptin levels and EIB in asthmatic children.
Asthma ; Body Mass Index ; Bronchoconstriction* ; Child* ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Leptin* ; Phospholipases A2* ; Plasma* ; Respiratory Function Tests

No abstract available.
Aortic Rupture*

Apraxia of speech (AOS) is a disorder in programming the speech musculature to produce the correct sounds of words in the proper sequence. Pure AOS without other speech-language deficit is very rare. We report a patient with AOS without aphasia developed after the left insular infarction. For the case of impaired speech production, AOS should be recognized as a differential diagnosis. Correct diagnosis and early institution of speech therapy may have important implications in the prognosis of AOS.
Aphasia ; Apraxias* ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Prognosis ; Speech Therapy

Electrical monitoring of the nervous system offers the potential for the detection of injury and diagnosis of disease. Existing evoked potentials monitor one or another sensory modality, but no generally usable motor monitor exists. Recovery rates of motor function in rats with spinal cord injury were comparetively observed by MEP (Motor Evoked Potential) recorded in 20 spinal cord injured rats and 10 control from distal portion of the injury during stimulation of the cerebral motor cortex. Experimental animals were divided into 10 control and 20 spinal cord injury group which were 10 rats received 20 gcm using weight drop method injury and 10 rats received 50 gcm injury to the spinal cord injury. The relationship of changes in MEQ measured pre-and post-injury respectively and a recovery rats of motor function was analysed and obtained the following results. 1) In postinjury MEP by 20gcm spinal cord-injury rats, 28% latency increase (11.4+/-1.33 msec, control : 8.25+/-1.01 msec) and 14% amplitude decrease (17.77+/-7.7 microV, control 20.70+/-2.71 microV) were noted in the recording at 1 week after the injury. However, with the passage of time MEP showed improvement in latency and amplitude. In 50 gcm spinal cord-injury group, 76% latency increase (14.49+/-1.48 msec) and 65% amplitude decrease (6.70+/-2.21 microV) were observed and the latency and amplitude were not improved with the passage of time. 2) A recovery rate of motor function in the injury group was noted to be slowly increased after injury to the spinal cord in 20 gcm spinal cord-injury group, however there was no recovery of motor function in the 50 gcm spinal cord-injury group. 3) Histological examination demonstrated that ecchymotic hemorrhage was found in less than 25% of the cord in 20 gcm spinal cord-injury group, however, approximately 50% of the cord was noted to have ecchymosis and distruption of the neural tissue in 50 gcm spinal cord-injury group. MEP is probably sensitive in the detection of motor dysfunction after spinal cord injury, and clinically whenever MEP showed an improvement, recovery of motor function was followed. MEP might be clinically an important indicator for the prediction of motor function recovery in the patients with spinal cord injury.
Animals ; Diagnosis ; Ecchymosis ; Evoked Potentials ; Evoked Potentials, Motor* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Motor Cortex ; Nervous System ; Rats* ; Recovery of Function ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Spinal Cord*

A 62-year-old man with an infected periprosthetic femoral fracture, which occurred after a cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA) procedure, was treated utilizing an antibiotic-impregnated cement plate for internal fixation. Open reduction and internal fixation using a cable plate were initially attempted in his case, but a deep infection with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus epidermidis at the fracture site occurred 2 months after the initial cable plate procedure. Using an antibiotic-impregnated cement plate for internal fixation, one month later, the fracture had stabilized. Successful fusion occurred at 12 months after deploying the antibiotic-impregnated cement plate. This technique was useful in this complicated case because it facilitated the goals of eradicating infection, alleviating pain, and improving function.
Arthroplasty ; Femoral Fractures ; Hip ; Humans ; Methicillin Resistance ; Middle Aged ; Staphylococcus epidermidis