The fibrillar coat of Candida albicans is of interest as its significance in antigenicity, antiphagocytosis, and adherence to host tissues. The partial biochemical properties and ultrastructure of fibrillar coat induced by rabbit sera were examined. The induced fibrillar layer was destroyed by treatments of lyticase, proteinase K and dithiothreitol. The total protein concentration of fibrillar cell wall lysate was higher than that of non-fibrillar cell wall lysate, but the total sugar concentration was similar. On SDS-PAGE analysis, the protein profiles between in fibrillar cells and in non-fibrillar cells were shown to be different. In fibrillar cells, the major bands of cell wall lysate were 83, 66, 54, 47, 33, and 26 kDa in dithiothreitol-treated lysate. The proteins of 26 and 19 kDa were predominant in lyticase-treated lysate. Although the fibrillar thickness and protein amount of cell wall lysate were increased in according to the incubation time, the protein profiles did not changed. These results suggest that the proteins of 83, 66, 54, 47, 33, 26, and 19 kDa may be major constituents of fibrillar coat in C. albicans.
Candida albicans* ; Candida* ; Cell Wall ; Dithiothreitol ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Endopeptidase K

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a major public health emergency worldwide. Vaccines were rapidly developed and approved to prevent the spread of viral infection. However, various side effects of the COVID-19 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines have been reported after their commercialization. A 24-year-old man visited our emergency department with polyuria and polydipsia that occurred after he received a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine 10 days beforehand. The initial laboratory findings showed very low urine osmolality with hyperosmolar hypernatremia. Based on these findings, diabetes insipidus was suspected, and sella magnetic resonance imaging showed an enlarged pituitary gland and the absence of posterior pituitary higher intensity. After 12 hours of using oral desmopressin acetate, urine volume decreased, and after 5 days of administration, serum electrolyte and serum osmolality improved. This case report of diabetes insipidus occurring after vaccination with the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is presented as a reminder that close monitoring is necessary for patients with polyuria and polydipsia after vaccination.

No abstract available.
Candida albicans* ; Candida*

PURPOSE: Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1/redox factor-1 (APE1/Ref-1) is a multifunctional protein involved in DNA repair and redox modulation. Recently, serum and urinary APE1/Ref-1 levels were reported to be increased in patients with bladder cancer. Genetic variations of APE/Ref-1 are associated with the risk of cancer. However, the effect of APE1/Ref-1 variants on its secretory activity is yet unknown. METHODS: APE1/Ref-1 variants were evaluated by DNA sequencing analysis of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction products in coding DNA sequences (CDS) of APE1/Ref-1 in bladder tissue samples from patients with bladder cancer (n=10). Secretory activity of APE1/Ref-1 variants was evaluated with immunoblot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of the culture medium supernatants. RESULTS: Four different substitution mutants (D148E, I64V/D148E, W67R/D148E, and E86G/D148E) of APE1/Ref-1 were identified in bladder cancer specimens. However, deletion mutants of APE1/Ref-1 CDS were not found. The secretory activity of the APE1/Ref-1 variants (D148E, I64V/D148E, and E86G/D148E) was increased compared to that of wild type APE1/Ref-1. Furthermore, the secretory activity in basal or hyperacetylated conditions was much higher than that in APE1/Ref-1 D148E-transfected HEK293 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our data suggest that the increased secretory activity of D148E might contribute to increased serum levels of APE1/Ref-1 in patients with bladder cancer.
Base Sequence ; Clinical Coding ; DNA Repair ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Genetic Variation ; HEK293 Cells ; Humans* ; Oxidation-Reduction ; Point Mutation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcription ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*

BACKGROUND: To assess the association between ambient particulate matter and cardiovascular death in seven cities in the Republic of Korea during the period of 2002-2008. METHODS: A time-stratified case-crossover design was used to examine association between particulate matter and deaths from cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease; hypertensive disease 12,821, ischemic heart disease 39,577, cardiac arrhythmia 1,627, cerebrovascular disease 88,047. Mortality data was obtained from National Statistical Office, and hourly mean concentrations of particulate matter < or = 10 microm in aerodynamic diameter and meteorological data were obtained from the Ministry of Environment. The percent increase in the risk of death associated with an interquartile range increase in particulate matter was determined by conditional logistic regression analysis after adjusting for national holidays and meteorological factors. RESULTS: The largest association was a 0.8% increase (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.1-1.6) in death risk related to an interquartile range increase in particulate matter < or = 10 microm (average of 0 to 2 days prior to the day of death). Classified as the cause of death, the association was a 1.2% increase (95% CI, 0.2-2.2) in death from cerebrovascular disease related to an interquartile range increase in particulate matter < or = 10 microm. But others were statistically not significant. After stratification of death cases by year of death, statistically significant associations were a 2.3% increase (95% CI, 0.1-4.4) in death risk from ischemic heart disease in 2002-2004 and 2.0% increase in death from cerebrovascular disease (95% CI, 0.3-3.8) in 2006-2008. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that ambient air pollution increases the risk of deaths from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease in the Republic of Korea.
Air Pollution ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cause of Death ; Cerebrovascular Disorders ; Cross-Over Studies ; Holidays ; Logistic Models ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Particulate Matter ; Republic of Korea

Nicolau syndrome or embolia cutis medicamentosa is a rare complication of a still largely unidentified pathogenesis at the site of intramuscular injections of various drugs. It is characterized by development of an acute, severe pain around the injection site followed by a localized erythema, a reticular rash, a hemorrhagic patch and varying degrees of tissue damage. The disease outcomes vary from atrophic ulcers and pigmentation to lower limb paralysis and limb amputation. We describe a 34-year-old woman with the diagnosis of this syndrome after she received an intramuscular diclofenac-beta-dimethyl-aminoethanol injection to the lateral aspect of the right upper buttock. The patient was treated by surgical debridement with concomitant primary closure.
Adult ; Amputation ; Buttocks ; Debridement ; Diclofenac ; Erythema ; Exanthema ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Injections, Intramuscular ; Lower Extremity ; Paralysis ; Pigmentation ; Ulcer

PURPOSE: While the recurrent pneumonia is a relatively common problem, there are very few studies or reports in the literature on the subject. This study was designed to provide with a systematic approach to evaluation of the patient who presented with recurrent pneumonia. METHODS: We reviewed clinical records of 12,137 patients who had been admitted to Yonsei University Severance Hospital with pneumonia for the period of 10 years from January 1986 to December 1995. Recurrent pneumonia is defined as pneumonia with at least 2 episodes in a year or with at least 3 episodes for the period of 10 years mentioned above. We investigated incidence of recurrent pneumonia, age distribution, number of recurrent episodes. Then we reviewed the interval period of episodes, location of lesions in chest X-ray, associated etiology in 200 patients with recurrent pneumonia who were selected randomly. RESULTS: Among the patients with pneumonia, 840 patients(6.9%) had recurrent pneumoia. The patients with two episodes of pneumonia were in the highest in incidence(66.9%). The intervals between episodes were usually 1 to 3 month(45.2%). The lesions involved most frequently in both lung fields(61%) on simple chest X-ray. Predisposing factors were widely varied. They were in orders of frequency respiratory disease(43.0%), neuromuscular disease(9.5%), anatomic problem(6.5%), immunologic disease(3.5%) and gastrointestinal disease(1.5%). The most frequent predisposing factor among the respiratory diseases was bronchio;itis(24.0%) and asthma(14.0%). CONCLUSION: The key to optimal treatment lies in the prompt detection of the predisposing factors. We emphasize that patients present recurrent pneumonia should be carefully evaluated for possibility of underlying bronchiolitis in children under age two years and asthma in older children.
Age Distribution ; Asthma ; Bronchiolitis ; Causality* ; Child* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lung ; Pneumonia* ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Nucleoplasty is a minimally invasive spinal surgery using a Coblation(R) technique that creates small voids within the disc. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cervical nucleoplasty in patients with cervical disc disorder. METHODS: Between March 2008 and December 2009, 22 patients with cervical disc disorders were treated with cervical nucleoplasty after failed conservative treatment. All procedures were performed under local anesthesia, and fluoroscopic guidance and voids were created in the disc with the Perc(TM) DC Spine Wand(TM). Clinical outcomes were evaluated by the Modified Macnab criteria and VAS score at preprocedure, postprocedure 1 month, and 6 months. RESULTS: Six patients had one, eight patients had two and eight patients had three discs treated; a total of 46 procedures was performed. Mean VAS reduced from 9.3 at preprocedure to 3.7 at postprocedure 1 month and to 3.4 at postprocedure 6 months. There was no significant complication related to the procedure within the first month. Outcomes were good or excellent in 17/22 (77.3%) cases. Postprocedure magnetic resonance imaging was acquired in two patients after two months showing morphologic evidence of volume reduction of protruded disc material in one patient but not in the other. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous decompression with a nucleoplasty using a Coblation(R) technique in the treatment of cervical disc disorder is a safe, minimally-invasive and less uncomfortable procedure, with an excellent short-term clinical outcome.
Anesthesia, Local ; Decompression ; Diskectomy ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine