BACKGROUND: Brown adipocytes have thermogenic characteristics in neonates and elicit anti-inflammatory responses. We postulated that thermogenic brown adipocytes produce distinctive intercellular effects in a hypobaric state. The purpose of this study is to analyze the correlation between brown adipocyte and regulatory T cell (T(reg)) expression under intermittent hypobaric conditions. METHODS: Brown and white adipocytes were harvested from the interscapular and flank areas of C57BL6 mice, respectively. Adipocytes were cultured with syngeneic splenocytes after isolation and differentiation. Intermittent hypobaric conditions were generated using cyclic negative pressure application for 48 h in both groups of adipocytes. Expression levels of T(regs) (CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3 + T cells), cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-10 (IL-10), and the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)] co-inhibitory ligand were examined. RESULTS: Splenocytes, cultured with brown and white adipocytes, exhibited comparable T(reg) expression in a normobaric state. Under hypobaric conditions, brown adipocytes maintained a subset of T(regs). However, a decrease in T(regs) was found in the white adipocyte group. TNF-α levels increased in both groups under hypobaric conditions. In the brown adipocyte group, anti-inflammatory IL-10 expression increased significantly; meanwhile, IL-10 expression decreased in the white adipocyte group. PD-L1 levels increased more significantly in brown adipocytes than in white adipocytes under hypobaric conditions. CONCLUSION: Both brown and white adipocytes support T(reg) expression when they are cultured with splenocytes. Of note, brown adipocytes maintained T(reg) expression in intermittent hypobaric conditions. Anti-inflammatory cytokines and co-inhibitory ligands mediate the immunomodulatory effects of brown adipocytes under altered atmospheric conditions. Brown adipocytes showed the feasibility as a source of adjustment in physical stresses.
Adipocytes ; Adipocytes, Brown ; Adipocytes, White ; Animals ; Coculture Techniques ; Cytokines ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Interleukin-10 ; Ligands ; Mice ; Necrosis

Tick is one of the most important arthropods in the transmission of vector-borne diseases. In this study, we investigated the abundance and species of ticks associated with swine and their habitats to assess the risk of spread of tick-borne diseases in host species, such as wild boars. Ticks were collected from 24 grazing or traditionally reared domestic pig farms and 8 habitats of wild boars in 8 provinces and 1 city in the Republic of Korea, by using the dragging and flagging methods. Ticks were also collected directly from 49 wild boars by using fine forceps. A total of 9,846 hard ticks were collected, including 4,977 Haemaphysalis longicornis, 4,313 Haemaphysalis flava, 508 Ixodes nipponensis, 1 Ixodes turdus, and 47 Amblyomma testudinarium. A total of 240 hard ticks were collected from 49 wild boars, including 109 H. flava, 84 H. longicornis, and 47 A. testudinarium. A total of 578 hard ticks were collected from areas around domestic pig farms. Only 2 hard tick species, 546 H. longicornis and 32 H. flava, were collected from these areas. A total of 9,028 hard ticks were collected from wild boars of 8 habitats, including 4,347 H. longicornis, 4,172 H. flava, 508 I. nipponensis, and 1 I. turdus. A. testudinarium was collected only from wild boars, and I. nipponensis and I. turdus were collected only from the habitats of wild boars.
Agriculture ; Arthropods ; Ecosystem* ; Ixodes ; Ixodidae ; Republic of Korea* ; Surgical Instruments ; Sus scrofa* ; Swine ; Tick-Borne Diseases ; Ticks*

Deer serve as reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens that impact on medical and veterinary health worldwide. In the Republic of Korea, the population of Korean water deer (KWD, Hydropotes inermis argyropus) has greatly increased from 1982 to 2011, in part, as a result of reforestation programs established following the Korean War when much of the land was barren of trees. Eighty seven Haemaphysalis flava, 228 Haemaphysalis longicornis, 8 Ixodes nipponensis, and 40 Ixodes persulcatus (21 larvae, 114 nymphs, and 228 adults) were collected from 27 out of 70 KWD. A total of 89/363 ticks (266 pools, 24.5% minimum infection rate) and 5 (1.4%) fed ticks were positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum using nested PCR targeting the 16S rRNA and groEL genes, respectively. The 16S rRNA gene fragment sequences of 88/89 (98.9%) of positive samples for A. phagocytophilum corresponded to previously described gene sequences from KWD spleen tissues. The 16S rRNA gene fragment sequences of 20/363 (5.5%) of the ticks were positive for A. bovis and were identical to previously reported sequences. Using the ITS specific nested PCR, 11/363 (3.0%) of the ticks were positive for Bartonella spp. This is the first report of Anaplasma and Bartonella spp. detected in ticks collected from KWD, suggesting that ticks are vectors of Anaplasma and Bartonella spp. between reservoir hosts in natural surroundings.
Anaplasma/genetics/*physiology ; Animals ; Arachnid Vectors/microbiology ; Bartonella/genetics/*physiology ; Chaperonin 60/genetics ; Deer/parasitology ; Disease Reservoirs/veterinary ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Ticks/*microbiology

North Korea is located on the northern part of the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. While tick-borne pathogens of medical and veterinary importance have been reported from China and South Korea, they have not been reported from North Korea. To screen for zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in North Korea, ticks were collected from domestic goats. A total of 292 (27 nymph, 26 male, 239 female) Haemaphysalis (H.) longicornis were collected and assayed individually for selected tick-borne pathogens. A total of 77 (26.4%) were positive for Anaplasma bovis, followed by Bartonella (B.) grahamii (15, 5.1%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (12, 4.1%), Bartonella henselae (10, 3.4%), and Borrelia spp. (3, 1.0%) based on 16S ribosomal RNA and ITS species-specific nested polymerase chain reaction. Using the groEL-based nested PCR, a total of 6 and 1 H. longicornis were positive for B. grahamii and B. henselae, respectively. All products were sequenced and demonstrated 100% identity and homology with previously reported sequences from other countries in GenBank. This is the first report of the detection of tick-borne pathogens in the North Korea and suggests that farm animals may act as reservoirs for zoonotic tick-borne pathogens.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum ; Anaplasma* ; Animals, Domestic ; Bartonella henselae ; Bartonella* ; Borrelia* ; China ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea* ; Far East ; Goats* ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Nymph ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence* ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; Ticks

The mandibular canal divides into the mental and incisive canals at the premolar region, forms the anterior loop which crosses anterior to the mental foramen, and turns back to reach the mental foramen. The aim of this study was to elucidate the general anatomical structure of the anterior loop of the mandibular canal using morphometry. Twenty-six hemimandibles from 19 cadavers (16 males, 3 females; mean age at death, 54.4 years) were studied by meticulous dissection with the aid of a surgical microscope. The location of the anterior loop, the diameters of the mandibular, mental, and incisive canals, and their distances from bony landmarks were measured using digital calipers. The anterior loop of the mandibular canal was located 3.05+/-1.15 mm (mean+/-SD) anterior to the anterior margin of the mental foramen and 2.72+/-1.41 mm inferior to the superior margin of the mental foramen, and was 4.34+/-1.46 mm long. The diameters of the mandibular, mental, and incisive canals were 2.8+/-0.49, 2.63+/-0.64, and 2.22+/-0.59 mm, respectively. The distances between the inferior border of the mandible and each of these canals were 7.82+/-1.52, 10.11+/-1.27, and 9.08+/-1.66 mm, respectively. The anterior loop of the mandibular canal was located a mean of 3.1 mm anterior and 2.7 mm inferior to the mental foramen, and continued upward and backward into the mental canal, and forward into the incisive canal. These detailed morphological features of the anterior loop of the mandibular canal represent useful practical anatomical knowledge regarding the interforaminal region.
Bicuspid ; Cadaver ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mandible

A tick survey was conducted to determine the relative abundance and distribution of ticks associated with selected mammals in the Republic of Korea (ROK) during 2008-2009. A total of 918 ticks were collected from 76 mammals (6 families, 9 species) captured at 6 provinces and 3 Metropolitan Cities in ROK. Haemaphysalis longicornis (54.4%) was the most frequently collected tick, followed by Haemaphysalis flava (28.5%), Ixodes nipponensis (7.6%), Ixodes pomerantzevi (4.8%), Ixodes persulcatus (4.6%), and Haemaphysalis japonica (0.1%). Adults (57.0%) and nymphs (28.7%) of Ixodes and Haemaphysalis spp. were collected most frequently from medium or large mammals in this survey, while few larvae (14.3%) were collected. Hydropotes inermis was the most frequently captured mammal (52.6%), with a 16.4 tick index and 5 of 6 species of ticks collected during this survey. H. longicornis (69.7%) was the predominant tick collected from H. inermis, followed by H. flava (22.2%), I. persulcatus (6.1%), I. nipponensis (1.8%), and H. japonica (0.2%).
Animals ; Mammals/*parasitology ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea ; Tick Infestations/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary ; Ticks/*classification

The prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in southern Korea was determined by collecting ticks using tick drags. A total of 4,077 of 6,788 ticks collected were pooled (649 pools) according to collection site, species, and developmental stage and assayed for TBEV. The TBEV protein E and NS5 gene fragments were detected using RT-nested PCR in six pools of nymphs collected from Jeju Island (2,491 ticks). The minimum field detection rates for TBEV were 0.17% and 0.14% for Haemaphysalis longicornis and Haemayphysalis. flava nymphs, respectively. The 252 bp NS5 and 477 bp protein E gene amplicons were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the NS5 and protein E genes of the Jeju strain were clustered with Western subtype (98.0% and 99.4% identity, respectively). The Western subtype of TBEV is endemic in Korea, including Jeju Island. The study of vector and zoonotic host susceptibility to TBEV is required to better understand its potential impact on public health.
Animals ; Arachnid Vectors/*virology ; Base Sequence ; DNA Primers/genetics ; Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne/classification/*genetics ; Encephalitis, Tick-Borne/*epidemiology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; *Phylogeny ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Ticks/*virology ; Viral Envelope Proteins/genetics

BACKGROUND: False positive rate of 17-OHP screening test was higher more than other screening tests due to use same cutoff value both term and preterm infants in Korea. The purpose of this study is to set cutoff value of 17-OHP on the basis of birth weight in neonatal screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. METHODS: 17-OHP was measured in filter paper blood spots obtained by heel puncture between 3 and 7 days after birth. 17-OHP values were analyzed with respect to birth weight in order to decide the appropriate cutoff values in a neonatal screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. RESULTS: The mean concentrations of 17-OHP according to birth weight groups were as follows : 12.6, 7.0, 5.1, 3.7, 3.0, 2.5 ng/mL for birth weight of 1.50 or less, 1.50-1.99, 2.00-2.49, 2.50-2.99, 3.00-3.49, 3.50 kg or more, respectively. The cutoff values for determining the 17-OHP for recall were decided as follows : 55, 35, 18, 11, 8, 8 ng/mL for birth weight of 1.50 or less, 1.50-1.99, 2.00-2.49, 2.50-2.99, 3.00-3.49, 3.50 kg or more, respectively. Application of the new cutoff values according to birth weight dropped the total recall rate from 3.3% to 1.0%. CONCLUSIONS: The cutoff values of 17-OHP on the basis of birth weight should be used in the neonatal screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. We believe that the recall rate due to false positive can be reduced using this method in low birth weight infants.
17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone ; Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital ; Birth Weight ; Heel ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Neonatal Screening ; Parturition ; Punctures

Mesenteric panniculitis is an extremely rare inflammatory condition of the adipose tissue of unknown etiology. It is characterized by extensive, progressive fibrosis of the mesenteric fat tissue, leading to tumor formation. Clinical manifestations vary according to the process involving the structures. Abdominal pain accompanied by nausea, malaise, pyrexia, and weight loss and a poorly defined mass are common presentations. Major pathologic changes include (1) degeneration of mesenteric fat, (2) an inflammatory reaction, and (3) fibrosis of the adipose tissue. We present four patients with an aggressive form of mesenteric pannicultis with characteristic histopathologic features. We discuss the relationship between the histopathologic features and the surgical intervention in these cases.
Abdominal Pain ; Adipose Tissue ; Fever ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Nausea ; Panniculitis, Peritoneal* ; Weight Loss

OBJECTIVE: This paper describes our experience and implant technique for cranioplasty of a large cranial defects using a porous polyethylene implant(Medpor) and compares the results with polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA). METHODS: Sixteen cranioplasties were performed using Medpor(n=10) and PMMA(n=6) implants between June 2003 and January 2005. The criterion for patient enrollment was a defect larger than 10cm in diameter. This study compared the operation times and complications. RESULTS: The operation times ranged from 105 to 250minutes(Mean 180 degrees +/-44minutes) in Medpor and from 185 to 460minutes (mean 128minutes) in PMMA. The absolute operation times were shorter using the Medpor implant and the differences were statistically significant(P=0.030). Satisfactory cosmetic results were obtained in all cases using the Medpor implant and with no implant-related complications. Bone ingrowth to the medpor implant was presumed to be the result on an increase in Houndsfield units of the implant, particularly at the marginal areas in the serial follow-up brain computed tomography images. CONCLUSION: It is believed that the properties of a Medpor implant make this implant an good alternative to the existing methods of a cranial contour correction. However, a further follow-up study will be needed.
Brain ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Polyethylene* ; Polymethyl Methacrylate