Androgen insensitivity syndrome is a genetic syndrome characterized by complete or partial resistance of end organ to the peripheral effect of androgen. Patient have a male karyotype(46,XY) and bilateral testes. Appearance of external genitalia depend on the degree of androgen insensitivity. In the complete form, external genitalia is normal female but in the incomplete form, external genitalia figure varies hom that of a virilized female to that of an undervirilized male with a short penis and hypospadia. The gonads are able to be located along the descending course of the testis during development. The usual presenting symptom in complete type is primary amenorrhea or inguinal mass, but in incomplete type, the patient mainly present with ambiguous genitalia. Recently we experienced one case of this syndmme and removed the bilateral gonads, so we report it with brief review of literatures.
Amenorrhea ; Androgen-Insensitivity Syndrome* ; Disorders of Sex Development ; Female ; Genitalia ; Gonads* ; Humans ; Hypospadias ; Male ; Penis ; Testis

This study was performed to investigate the effect of dietary beta-carotene supplementation on lipid peroxide levels and antioxidant enzyme activities in alcoholic fatty liver rats. Forty five Sprague-Dawley male rats aging 8 weeks were used as experimental animals, which were divided into the control diet (CD) and the ethanol diet (ED) and the ethanol + 0.02% beta-carotene diet (EbetaD) groups and fed the experimental diet respectively for 5 weeks. After the feeding, rats were sacrificed to get blood and liver to analyze lipid and lipid peroxide levels and antioxidant enzyme activities. The mean body weight and food intake of the ethanol diet group was significantly lower than that of the control diet. The liver index (LI) of the ethanol diet group was significantly higher than those of the control diet and the beta-carotene supplementation group. Serum levels of total lipid, triglyceride of the ethanol diet group were significantly higher than those of the control diet and the beta-carotene supplementation group. Total cholesterol levels were not significantly different among all groups. HDL-cholesterol of the ethanol diet group was significantly lower than those of the control diet and the beta-carotene supplementation group. Liver TBARS of the ethanol diet group was significantly higher than those of the control diet and the beta-carotene supplementation group. Liver lipofuscin and conjugated diene levels were not significantly different among all groups. The superoxide dismutase activity of the ethanol diet group was significantly lower than those of the control diet and the beta-carotene supplementation group. Catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities were not significantly different among all groups. Because beta-carotene supplementation significantly decrease the serum total lipid, triglyceride, liver TBARS levels and increase the superoxide dismutase activity in alcoholic fatty liver rats, beta-carotene supplementation seems to give beneficial effect for the alcoholics.
Aging ; Alcoholics* ; Animals ; beta Carotene* ; Body Weight ; Catalase ; Cholesterol ; Diet ; Eating ; Ethanol ; Fatty Liver ; Fatty Liver, Alcoholic* ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxides ; Lipofuscin ; Liver ; Male ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances ; Triglycerides

No abstract available.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Depression* ; Humans

Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites were isolated from the blood of an ocular patient, and have been successfully passaged in the laboratory, for over a year, by peritoneal inoculation in mice. The isolated parasite was designated the Korean Isolate-1 (KI-1) and its characteristics were compared with those of the RH strain, a wellknown virulent strain originating from a child who suffered from encephalitis. The morphology, pathogenicity, infectivity and cell culture characteristics of the KI-1 were similar to those of the RH strain. Both RH and KI-1 antigens were detected by an anti-T. gondii monoclonal antibody (mAb), Tg563, against the major surface protein SAG1 (30 kDa), whereas no reaction was observed against an anti-Neospora caninum mAb, 12B4. The KI-1 was confirmed as an isolate of T. gondii. A long-term laboratory maintenance and characterization of a local T. gondii isolate is reported for the first time in the Republic of Korea.
Animals ; Antigens, Protozoan/analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Microscopy, Electron ; Middle Aged ; Parasitemia/parasitology ; Sarcoma 180 ; Serial Passage ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms ; *Toxoplasma/classification/growth & development/isolation & purification/pathogenicity ; Toxoplasmosis, Ocular/*diagnosis/parasitology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; Virulence

PURPOSE: This study was performed to investigate the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) nasal carriage in Korean children attending day care centers. METHODS: During September and October 2009, a survey for nasal carriage of S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was conducted among children attending day care centers located in Seoul with questionnaire survey for evaluation of risk factors of acquisition of MRSA was obtained from their guardians. A culture of the anterior nares swabs using enrichment broth was executed for isolating S. aureus and oxacillin susceptibility was assessed by the disk diffusion method. RESULTS: Out of the 428 children enrolled whose mean age was 55 months old, 163 (38.1%) were colonized with S. aureus. Of the 163 isolates, 40 (24.5%) were MRSA. The nasal carriage rate of S. aureus showed an increasing trend with increase of age. Based on the answer to the questionnaire, 9.2% and 3.6% of children had a recent history of hospitalization and surgery, respectively, and approximately 40% of children had a history of prescription of antibiotics within 1 year prior to enrollment. Of the 428 subjects, 40 (9.3%) were MRSA nasal carriers. CONCLUSION: S. aureus and MRSA carriage rate of children attending day care center in Korea was 38.1% and 9.3%, respectively. Continued surveillance for nasal carriage rate of S. aureus and MRSA (especially community-associated MRSA) is mandatory.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Child ; Colon ; Day Care, Medical ; Diffusion ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Korea ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Oxacillin ; Prescriptions ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Risk Factors ; Staphylococcus ; Staphylococcus aureus

Plasmodium vivax malaria re-emerged in South Korea in 1993, and epidemics continue since then. We examined genetic variation in the region encompassing the apical membrane antigen-1 (PvAMA-1) of the parasites by DNA sequencing of the 22 re-emerging P. vivax isolates. The genotype of the PvAMA-1, which was based on sequence data previously reported for the polymorphic regions, showed that two haplotypes were present at one polymorphic site. Compared with reported data, the two types, SKOR type I and type II, were similar to Chinese CH-10A and CH-05A isolates, respectively. Thus, the present study showed that two genotypes of AMA-1 genes coexist in the re-emerging Korean P. vivax.
Adult ; Aged ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; *Antigens, Protozoan ; Base Sequence ; Child ; Female ; Genotype ; Human ; Korea ; Malaria, Vivax/*genetics ; Male ; Membrane Proteins/chemistry/*genetics ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymorphism (Genetics) ; Protozoan Proteins/chemistry/*genetics ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

No abstract available.
Animals ; Cell Adhesion* ; Female ; Leiomyoma* ; Mice ; Myometrium* ; Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules*

Dietary nitrate supplementation from green leafy vegetables and beetroot is involved in the ‘nitratenitrite- nitric oxide (NO) pathway’ and is reported to have important vascular impacts. This study evaluated the blood parameters and blood flow change subsequent to a raw juice diet program. The 28 subjects who voluntarily participated in the raw juice diet program at Sahmyook University were instructed to drink the juice composed of fruits and vegetables instead of partaking the usual meal, at a scheduled time daily. The study was approved by the research ethics council of the Sahmyook University (SYUIRB 2014-043). Evaluation of the participants after the required duration revealed decreased levels of soft lean mass (P＜0.05), skeletal muscle mass (P＜0.001), body fat mass (P＜0.001), body mass index (P＜0.001) and circulating levels of total cholesterol (P＜0.001), triglycerides (P＜0.05), HDL-cholesterol (P＜0.01), LDL-cholesterol (P＜0.01), and blood urea nitrogen (P＜0.001). Conversely, circulating levels of creatinine (P＜0.001), hemoglobin (P＜0.001), and hematocrit (P＜0.01) were increased after the intervention. The blood flow levels were also increased after the program (P＜0.001). Our results indicate that a short-term raw juice diet contributes to the improvement of vascular blood flow and blood lipid parameters, and decreases the lean muscle mass related to dehydration.

Most of the malignant tumors of the pancreas are adenocarcinomas arising from the ductal epithelium. Primary leiomyosarcoma of the pancreas, even though it is the most common sarcoma of the pancreas, is very rare. We present a case of leiomyosarcoma of the pancreas, probably primary, with metastases to the stomach, lymph nodes, and abdominal wall. A 52-year-old woman visited the hospital with vague right upper abdominal pain and weigh loss of 6 kg for 2 months. The radiological and endoscopic examination revealed that she had a large heterogeneous mass, 11 cm in size, in the pancreatic body and tail, a 4 cm-sized mass in the paraaortic area, and a 3 cm-sized polypoid mass in the stomach. Histologically, they were all similar to one another and composed of markedly pleomorphic cells. Immunohistochemical and electron microscopic studies showed definite smooth muscle differentiation of the tumor cells. Two months later, the patient underwent an excision of a new 3 cm mass in the right lower abdominal wall, showing features of well differentiated leiomyosarcoma.
Abdominal Pain ; Abdominal Wall ; Adenocarcinoma ; Epithelium ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Lymph Nodes ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Smooth ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pancreas* ; Sarcoma ; Stomach

Calcareous corpuscles are a characteristic structure found in larval and adult stage cestodes. These corpuscles are known to contain several protein components and to possess protein-binding activity. However, the proteins bound to calcareous corpuscles in situ have not been studied. The present study was undertaken to identify the proteins on calcareous corpuscles. Calcareous corpuscles were purified from the plerocercoids (= spargana) of Spirometra erinacei, and serially dissolved using 0.1 M sulfamic acid solution. Collected supernatants were examined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and silver staining. The results showed that only the fraction remaining after the 19th dissolved fraction contained proteins. A total of 20 protein molecules were detected in gel, with major bands at 56, 53, 46, 40, 35, 29, 28, 24.5, 21, 19, 16, 13, 10 and 8 kDa. In particular, the proteins corresponding to the 21 and 16 kDa bands were most abundant. Our results demonstrated for the first time the protein contents of the calcareous corpuscles of spargana. Further studies on the functions of these proteins are required.
Animals ; Centrifugation ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Helminth Proteins/analysis/*metabolism ; Molecular Weight ; Protein Binding ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Silver Staining ; Sparganum/isolation & purification/*metabolism ; Spirometra/*metabolism ; Sulfonic Acids