To elucidate the biologic significause of hepatocyte B core antigen (HBcAg) expression and its relation to the natural course of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, we tried to correlate the patterns of HBcAg with the HBV replication state and with disease activity in 40 needle biopsies performed on hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers aged from 15 to 46 years. In 32 of 40 cases, HBcAg was present in the hepatocyte nucleus (nHBcAg), in the cytoplams (cHBcAg) or in both (mixed). Pure nHBcAg was seen only in minimal hepatitis, but a diffuse pattern of expression of cytoplasmic HBcAg and mixed cytoplasmic and nuclear expression of HBcAg were seen in active hepatitis. There was also a good correlation between liver HBcAg and serum HBeAg. Cases in which HBcAg expression were observed were positive for serum HBeAg (81%) and the cases negative for HBcAg were all positive for serum anti-HBe.
Biopsy

No abstract available.
Candidiasis*

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The use of mouthguard is important as the leisure life is popular today. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of a mouthguard on stress distribution in teeth, maxilla and mandible for maxilla impact. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The 3-dimensional finite element model was based on a CT scan film of an average korean adult when the subject is using a customized mouthguard which was made with the Signature Mouthguard system of Dreve. The load was applied to the upper central incisor cervical area parellel impact force for 0.1sec(L1), The Von-mises stress analysis with a mouthguard and without a mouthguard was compared. RESULTS: The results of this study were as follows: 1. Without the mouthguard, stress was concentrated on teeth and alveolar bone in all load conditions. 2. With the mouthguard, maximum stress value was decreased and stress was dispersed in all load conditions. 3. Stress extinction with the mouthguard was faster than without the mouthguard in all load conditions. CONCLUSION: We acknowledged that the mouthguard has a stress buffer effect as the maximum stress value was decreased and stress was dispersed when impact force was applied.
Adult ; Finite Element Analysis* ; Humans ; Incisor ; Leisure Activities ; Mandible* ; Maxilla* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tooth*

Pertussis is a pediatric infectious disease with one of the highest degrees of infectivity. Although pertussis may cause asymptomatic infections in children and adults with immunity, it can cause life-threatening diseases in newborn babies or infants. We report three cases of pertussis in infants <3 months of age without DTaP immunization who have received symptomatic treatment with the diagnosis of bronchiolitis from other hospitals, and subsequently correctly diagnosed and treated. The patients did not have the characteristic whooping cough, but the main symptoms were episodic cough, intermittent vomiting, and cyanosis. Based on culture results for Bordetella pertussis and PCR, pertussis was diagnosed and treated without any complications. As it is assumed that adults, adolescents, and asymptomatic patients may serve as sources of infection, immunization with Tdap vaccine is recommended to prevent dissemination of pertussis from adolescents and adults to infants, and thus maintain herd immunity.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Asymptomatic Infections ; Bordetella pertussis ; Bronchiolitis ; Child ; Communicable Diseases ; Cough ; Cyanosis ; Humans ; Immunity, Herd ; Immunization ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Vomiting ; Whooping Cough

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate any difference in levels of umbilical venous eryhthropoietin (EPO) and nucleated red blood cells (NRBC) between appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and small for gestational age (SGA) preterm neonates at birth and to evaluate the peripartal factors that influence the secretion of the nucleated red blood cells in preterm neonate. METHODS: 43 preterm singleton neonates born at the gestational age between 27 weeks and 37 weeks of gestation from January 1998 to December 2004 were enrolled and divided into 25 cases of AGA and 18 cases of SGA. At each delivery, umbilical venous blood gas values, concentration of EPO by radioimmunoassay and the NRBC count expressed per 100 white blood cell (WBC) were obtained. The placenta were examined microscopically for the presence of pathologic infarct and inflammation. Statistical analysis was done by Mann-Whitney U test, Fisher exact test, univariate and multiple regression analysis using SPSS statistical package. RESULTS: The median umbilical venous EPO concentration and fetal hemoglobin level in SGA preterm neonates were 48.0 mIU/mL and 15.7 g/dL, which were significantly higher than those in AGA preterm neonates (12.5 mIU/ML, 14.6 g/dL). The median NRBC in SGA group was 8.0 NRBC/100 WBC which was higher than in the AGA group (2.5 NRBC/100 WBC), showing no significant difference between groups. Stepwise multiple regression analysis identified O2 saturation, emergency cesarian section, infarct and inflammation in placental pathology and premature rupture of membranes as independent variables associated with the NRBC count. CONCLUSION: Measurement of the level of EPO and NRBC in umbilical venous blood at birth of the preterm neonates can be used as a helpful index for evaluation of intrauterine hypoxia. In addition, cord blood gas ananlysis and placental examination on the infarct and inflammation are informative value for the elevated NRBC.
Anoxia ; Emergencies ; Erythroblasts ; Erythrocytes ; Erythropoietin ; Fetal Blood ; Fetal Hemoglobin ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Inflammation ; Leukocytes ; Membranes ; Parturition ; Placenta ; Pregnancy ; Radioimmunoassay ; Rupture

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate any difference in levels of umbilical venous eryhthropoietin (EPO) and nucleated red blood cells (NRBC) between appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and small for gestational age (SGA) preterm neonates at birth and to evaluate the peripartal factors that influence the secretion of the nucleated red blood cells in preterm neonate. METHODS: 43 preterm singleton neonates born at the gestational age between 27 weeks and 37 weeks of gestation from January 1998 to December 2004 were enrolled and divided into 25 cases of AGA and 18 cases of SGA. At each delivery, umbilical venous blood gas values, concentration of EPO by radioimmunoassay and the NRBC count expressed per 100 white blood cell (WBC) were obtained. The placenta were examined microscopically for the presence of pathologic infarct and inflammation. Statistical analysis was done by Mann-Whitney U test, Fisher exact test, univariate and multiple regression analysis using SPSS statistical package. RESULTS: The median umbilical venous EPO concentration and fetal hemoglobin level in SGA preterm neonates were 48.0 mIU/mL and 15.7 g/dL, which were significantly higher than those in AGA preterm neonates (12.5 mIU/ML, 14.6 g/dL). The median NRBC in SGA group was 8.0 NRBC/100 WBC which was higher than in the AGA group (2.5 NRBC/100 WBC), showing no significant difference between groups. Stepwise multiple regression analysis identified O2 saturation, emergency cesarian section, infarct and inflammation in placental pathology and premature rupture of membranes as independent variables associated with the NRBC count. CONCLUSION: Measurement of the level of EPO and NRBC in umbilical venous blood at birth of the preterm neonates can be used as a helpful index for evaluation of intrauterine hypoxia. In addition, cord blood gas ananlysis and placental examination on the infarct and inflammation are informative value for the elevated NRBC.
Anoxia ; Emergencies ; Erythroblasts ; Erythrocytes ; Erythropoietin ; Fetal Blood ; Fetal Hemoglobin ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Inflammation ; Leukocytes ; Membranes ; Parturition ; Placenta ; Pregnancy ; Radioimmunoassay ; Rupture

BACKGROUND: Autophagy is an important adaptive mechanism in normal development and in response to changing environmental stimuli in cancer. Previous papers have reported that different types of cancer underwent autophagy to obtain amino acids as energy source of dying cells in nutrient-deprived conditions. However, whether or not autophagy in the process of lung cancer causes death or survival is controversial. Therefore in this study, we investigated whether nutrient deprivation induces autophagy in human H460 lung cancer cells. METHODS: H460, lung cancer cells were incubated in RPMI 1640 medium, and the starved media, which are BME and RPMI media without serum, including 2-deoxyl-D-glucose according to time dependence. To evaluate the viability and find out the mechanism of cell death under nutrient-deprived conditions, the MTT assay and flow cytometry were done and analyzed the apoptotic and autophagic related proteins. It is also measured the development of acidic vascular organelles by acridine orange. RESULTS: The nutrient-deprived cancer cell is relatively sensitive to cell death rather than normal nutrition. Massive cytoplasmic vacuolization was seen under nutrient-deprived conditions. Autophagic vacuoles were visible at approximately 12 h and as time ran out, vacuoles became larger and denser with the increasing number of vacuoles. In addition, the proportion of acridine orange stain-positive cells increased according to time dependence. Localization of GFP-LC3 in cytoplasm and expression of LC-3II and Beclin 1 were increased according to time dependence on nutrient-deprived cells. CONCLUSION: Nutrient deprivation induces cell death through autophagy in H460 lung cancer cells.
Acridine Orange ; Amino Acids ; Autophagy ; Cell Death ; Cytoplasm ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Malnutrition ; Organelles ; Proteins ; Vacuoles

BACKGROUND: Most lung cancer patients receive systemic chemotherapy at an advanced stage disease. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is the main regimen for treating advanced lung cancer. Recently, autophagy has become an important mechanism of cellular adaptation under starvation or cell oxidative stress. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not autophagy can occurred in cisplatin-treated lung cancer cells. METHODS: H460 cells were incubated with RPMI 1640 and treated in 5 micrometer or 20 micrometer cisplatin concentrations at specific time intervals. Cells surviving cisplatin treatment were measured and compared using an MTT cell viability assay to cells that underwent apoptosis with autophagy by nuclear staining, apoptotic or autophagic related proteins, and autophagic vacuoles. The development of acidic vascular organelles was using acridine orange staining and fluorescent expression of GFP-LC3 protein in its transfected cells was observed to evaluate autophagy. RESULTS: Lung cancer cells treated with 5 micrometer cisplatin-treated were less sensitive to cell death than 20 micrometer cisplatin-treated cells in a time-dependent manner. Nuclear fragmentation at 5 micrometer was not detected, even though it was discovered at 20 micrometer. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavages were not detected in 5 micrometer within 24 hours. Massive vacuolization in the cytoplasm of 5 micrometer treated cells were observed. Acridine orange stain-positive cells was increased according in time-dependence manner. The autophagosome-incorporated LC3 II protein expression was increased in 5 micrometer treated cells, but was not detected in 20 micrometer treated cells. The expression of GFP-LC3 were increased in 5 micrometer treated cells in a time-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: The induction of autophagy occurred in 5 micrometer dose of cisplatin-treated lung cancer cells.
Acridine Orange ; Apoptosis ; Autophagy ; Cell Death ; Cell Survival ; Cisplatin ; Cytoplasm ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Organelles ; Oxidative Stress ; Proteins ; Starvation ; Vacuoles

BACKGROUND: Most lung cancer patients receive systemic chemotherapy at an advanced stage disease. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is the main regimen for treating advanced lung cancer. Recently, autophagy has become an important mechanism of cellular adaptation under starvation or cell oxidative stress. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not autophagy can occurred in cisplatin-treated lung cancer cells. METHODS: H460 cells were incubated with RPMI 1640 and treated in 5 micrometer or 20 micrometer cisplatin concentrations at specific time intervals. Cells surviving cisplatin treatment were measured and compared using an MTT cell viability assay to cells that underwent apoptosis with autophagy by nuclear staining, apoptotic or autophagic related proteins, and autophagic vacuoles. The development of acidic vascular organelles was using acridine orange staining and fluorescent expression of GFP-LC3 protein in its transfected cells was observed to evaluate autophagy. RESULTS: Lung cancer cells treated with 5 micrometer cisplatin-treated were less sensitive to cell death than 20 micrometer cisplatin-treated cells in a time-dependent manner. Nuclear fragmentation at 5 micrometer was not detected, even though it was discovered at 20 micrometer. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavages were not detected in 5 micrometer within 24 hours. Massive vacuolization in the cytoplasm of 5 micrometer treated cells were observed. Acridine orange stain-positive cells was increased according in time-dependence manner. The autophagosome-incorporated LC3 II protein expression was increased in 5 micrometer treated cells, but was not detected in 20 micrometer treated cells. The expression of GFP-LC3 were increased in 5 micrometer treated cells in a time-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: The induction of autophagy occurred in 5 micrometer dose of cisplatin-treated lung cancer cells.
Acridine Orange ; Apoptosis ; Autophagy ; Cell Death ; Cell Survival ; Cisplatin ; Cytoplasm ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Organelles ; Oxidative Stress ; Proteins ; Starvation ; Vacuoles