No abstract available.
Child* ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices* ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal* ; Portal Vein*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The early diagnosis of acute hepatitis A (AHA) is hindered because serum IgM against hepatitis A virus (HAV) can yield false-negative results during the window period. This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kit for HAV RNA for the diagnosis of AHA. METHODS: Samples were collected from 136 patients with acute severe hepatitis at their admission to Asan Medical Center between June 2010 and July 2010. Samples were analyzed for serum IgM anti-HAV using an immunoassay test and for qualitative HAV RNA using the Magicplex HepaTrio PCR test kit. The diagnostic accuracies of these methods were tested on the basis of clinical and laboratory diagnoses of AHA. RESULTS: The concordance rate and kappa value between IgM anti-HAV and HAV RNA PCR were 88.2% and 0.707, respectively. For the diagnosis of AHA, the sensitivity and specificity of IgM anti-HAV were 90.7% and 100%, respectively, when an "equivocal" result was regarded as positive; and 79.1% and 100%, respectively, when an "equivocal" result was regarded as negative. The sensitivity and specificity of HAV RNA PCR were 81.4% and 100%, respectively. All four patients with negative IgM anti-HAV and positive HAV RNA PCR results and all four patients with equivocal IgM anti-HAV RNA and positive HAV RNA PCR results were eventually diagnosed with AHA. CONCLUSIONS: The qualitative HAV RNA PCR test has an equivalent diagnostic accuracy for AHA compared to IgM anti-HAV and may be more sensitive during the window period.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Hepatitis A/*diagnosis ; Hepatitis A virus/genetics/immunology ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Immunoglobulin M/blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prospective Studies ; RNA, Viral/*blood ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: To assess the value of positional shifting to a gravity-dependent area, as revealed by HRCT, in differ-entiating pulmonary edema (PE) from other conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen consecutive patients in whom plain radiographs suggested the presence of pulmonary edema but the clinical findings were indefinite underwent HRCT of the lung. For initial scanning they were in the supine position, and then in the prone position. Findings of ground-glass opacity, interlobular septal thickening and peribronchovascular interstitial thickening were analyzed in terms of the presence and degree of shifting to a gravity-dependent area, a grade of high, intermediate or low being assigned. RESULTS: PE was diagnosed in 8 of 16 cases, the remainder being designated as non-pulmonary edema (NPE). Ground-glass opacity was observed in all 16, while the degree of positional shifting was found to be high in ten (PE:NPE=6:4), intermediate in four (PE:NPE=2:2), and low in two (PE:NPE=0:2). There was no significant difference between the two groups (p > 0.05). Interlobular septal thickening was observed in all but two NPE cases; the degree of shifting was high in six (PE:NPE=6:0), intermediate in one (PE), and low in seven (PE:NPE=1:6). Shifting was significantly more prominent in PE than in NPE cases (p<0.05). Peribronchovas-cular interstitial thickening was positive in all PE cases and one NPE case, with no positional shifting. CONCLUSION: Positional shifting of interlobular septal thickening to a gravity-dependent area, as demonstrated by HRCT, is the most specific indicator of pulmonary edema.
Edema ; Humans ; Lung ; Prone Position ; Pulmonary Edema* ; Supine Position

Esophageal tubular duplication is a rare congenital anomaly. We experienced a patient with esophageal tubular duplication who presented with a swallowing difficulty which was aggravated after a gastrofiberscopic examination. Preoperative diagnosis was intramural hematoma of the esophagus due to trauma caused by endoscopy. Surgical specimen revealed that hematoma was located within a duplicated lumen of the esophagus. The radiologic and endoscopic findings are discussed in correlation with its pathology.
Aged ; Case Report ; Deglutition Disorders/etiology+ACo- ; Esophageal Diseases/etiology+ACo- ; Esophagus/surgery ; Esophagus/injuries ; Esophagus/abnormalities+ACo- ; Gastroscopy/adverse effects+ACo- ; Hematoma/etiology+ACo- ; Human ; Male

Esophageal tubular duplication is a rare congenital anomaly. We experienced a patient with esophageal tubular duplication who presented with a swallowing difficulty which was aggravated after a gastrofiberscopic examination. Preoperative diagnosis was intramural hematoma of the esophagus due to trauma caused by endoscopy. Surgical specimen revealed that hematoma was located within a duplicated lumen of the esophagus. The radiologic and endoscopic findings are discussed in correlation with its pathology.
Aged ; Case Report ; Deglutition Disorders/etiology+ACo- ; Esophageal Diseases/etiology+ACo- ; Esophagus/surgery ; Esophagus/injuries ; Esophagus/abnormalities+ACo- ; Gastroscopy/adverse effects+ACo- ; Hematoma/etiology+ACo- ; Human ; Male

Although bidets are widely used in Korea, its effects on anorectal pressures have not been studied in detail in terms of the water settings used. Twenty healthy volunteers were placed on a toilet equipped with a bidet, and anorectal pressures were measured with a manometry catheter inserted into the rectum and anal canal before and after using the bidet at different water forces (40, 80, 160, 200 mN), temperatures (24degrees C vs 38degrees C), and water jet widths (narrow vs wide). The pressure at anal high pressure zone decreased from 96.1 +/- 22.5 to 81.9 +/- 23.3 mmHg at water jet pressure of 40 mN and 38degrees C wide water jet (P < 0.001), from 94.3 +/- 22.4 to 80.0 +/- 24.1 mmHg at water jet pressure of 80 mN and 38degrees C narrow water jet (P < 0.001), and from 92.3 +/- 22.4 to 79.6 +/- 24.7 mmHg at a water jet pressure of 80 mN and 38degrees C wide water jet (P < 0.001). At other settings, no significant changes were observed. Our results indicate that, in addition to cleansing effect, bidet could be used to reduce anal resting pressure in the same manner as the traditional warm sitz bath under the conditions of low or medium water jet pressure, a warm water temperature, and a wide type water jet.
Adult ; Anal Canal/physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Manometry ; Pressure ; Rectum/*physiology ; Temperature ; *Toilet Facilities ; Water

Although bidets are widely used in Korea, its effects on anorectal pressures have not been studied in detail in terms of the water settings used. Twenty healthy volunteers were placed on a toilet equipped with a bidet, and anorectal pressures were measured with a manometry catheter inserted into the rectum and anal canal before and after using the bidet at different water forces (40, 80, 160, 200 mN), temperatures (24degrees C vs 38degrees C), and water jet widths (narrow vs wide). The pressure at anal high pressure zone decreased from 96.1 +/- 22.5 to 81.9 +/- 23.3 mmHg at water jet pressure of 40 mN and 38degrees C wide water jet (P < 0.001), from 94.3 +/- 22.4 to 80.0 +/- 24.1 mmHg at water jet pressure of 80 mN and 38degrees C narrow water jet (P < 0.001), and from 92.3 +/- 22.4 to 79.6 +/- 24.7 mmHg at a water jet pressure of 80 mN and 38degrees C wide water jet (P < 0.001). At other settings, no significant changes were observed. Our results indicate that, in addition to cleansing effect, bidet could be used to reduce anal resting pressure in the same manner as the traditional warm sitz bath under the conditions of low or medium water jet pressure, a warm water temperature, and a wide type water jet.
Adult ; Anal Canal/physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Manometry ; Pressure ; Rectum/*physiology ; Temperature ; *Toilet Facilities ; Water

No abstract available.
Hypercholesterolemia* ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Risk Factors*

No abstract available.
Dialysis* ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Lipid Metabolism* ; Lipoprotein(a)*

Members of the inhibitors of differentiation (Id) family of helix-loop-helix (HLH) proteins are known to play important roles in the proliferation and differentiation of many cell types. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) regulates proliferation and differentiation by activating TSH receptor (TSHR) in thyrocytes. In this study, we found that Id2, one of the Id family proteins, is a major target for regulation by TSH in FRTL-5 thyroid cells. TSH rapidly increases the Id2 mRNA level in FRTL-5 thyroid cells but the Id2 protein showed biphasic regulatory patterns, being transiently reduced and subsequently induced by TSH treatment. Transient reduction of Id2 protein was noted within 2 hr of TSH treatment and was mediated by proteasomal degradation. Moreover, reduced Id2 expression correlated with the activity of the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase pathway, which is activated by TSH. Although TSH increases the activity of the Id2 promoter, TSH-induced activation of this promoter was independent of c-Myc. Id2 did not alter TTF-1- and Pax-8-mediated effects on the regulation of the Tg promoter. Thus, in summary, we found that TSH regulates Id2 expression, but that Id2 does not alter the expression of thyroid-specific genes, such as Tg, in FRTL-5 thyroid cells.
1-Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/metabolism ; Animals ; Cattle ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; *Gene Expression Regulation ; Inhibitor of Differentiation Protein 2/metabolism ; Insulin/metabolism ; Paired Box Transcription Factors/metabolism ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/metabolism ; Rats ; Thyroglobulin/metabolism ; Thyroid Gland/*cytology ; Thyrotropin/*metabolism