PURPOSE: To evaluate choroidal thickness in diabetes patients using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. METHODS: We examined 203 eyes of 203 diabetic participants and 48 eyes of 48 healthy controls. The choroidal thickness at the foveal lesion was measured by enhanced-depth imaging optical coherence tomography. The participants were grouped according to diabetic retinopathy grade: no diabetic change, mild-to-moderate or severe non-proliferative, or proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The study parameters included history, age, axial length, intraocular pressure, central retinal thickness, fasting glucose, and blood pressure. RESULTS: The subfoveal choroidal thickness was thinner in eyes with non-proliferative or proliferative diabetic retinopathy than in normal eyes (p < 0.01). However, there was no difference between eyes with non-proliferative and proliferative diabetic retinopathy or between eyes with no diabetic change and the controls. Eyes exhibiting macular edema showed no significant difference in choroidal thickness compared with eyes having normal macular contours. CONCLUSIONS: The central choroid is thinner when eyes show diabetic changes on the retina. However, the presence of diabetic macular edema or proliferative change is not associated with more pronounced choroidal thinning.
Adult ; Aged ; Choroid/*pathology ; Diabetic Retinopathy/*diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reproducibility of Results ; Retrospective Studies ; Seveso Accidental Release ; Tomography, Optical Coherence/*methods

Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a rare condition defined as the dilatation of coronary artery to at least 1.5 times larger than the normal adjacent coronary artery. Clinical manifestations of CAE vary, ranging from asymptomatic to ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Because of its rarity and clinical diversity, the best treatment strategy and prognosis for CAE remain unclear. We describe a case of STEMI caused by intracoronary thrombus formation within an ectatic area in a patient with liver cirrhosis (LC). The patient was successfully managed by thrombus aspiration only, without balloon angioplasty or stent implantation, and maintained by dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and ticagrelor, a potent new P2Y12 inhibitor.
Angioplasty, Balloon ; Aspirin ; Coronary Vessels* ; Dilatation ; Dilatation, Pathologic ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; Prognosis ; Stents ; Thrombosis*

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of three-phase helical dynamic CT in the detection of hepatocellular carcinomas in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis. MATERIALS AND METFODS: Three-phase helical dynamic CT in 77 patients with advanced liver cirrhosis was evaluated prospectively before orthotopic liver transplantation. The histopathologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinomas in the explanted livers were compared with pretransplantation CT results by one-to-one correlation. RESULTS: Histopathologic examination of the explanted livers revealed 72 hepatocellular carcinomas in 41 patients. The size of the hepatocellular carcinomas was 0.5-14.0 cm (mean, 1.6 cm). The use of helical dynamic CT enabled the detection of 38 of 72 hepatocellular carcinomas (sensitivity, 53%). Fifteen of 35 (43%) hepatocellular carcinomas smaller than 2 cm and 23 of 37 (62%), hepatocellular carcinomas ranging from 2.0 cm to 14.0 cm were detected. Patient sensitivity and specificity in the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma were 81% (33/41) and 94% (34/36), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Three-phase helical dynamic CT is insensitive for detection of hepatocellular carcinomas in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis, especially for hepatocellular carcinomas smaller than 2 cm.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/complications/pathology/*radiography/surgery ; Female ; Human ; Liver/*pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis/*complications ; Liver Neoplasms/complications/pathology/*radiography/surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; *Tomography, Spiral Computed

This article has been retracted.

PURPOSE: To report the incidence of intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation and identify the risk factors of IOP elevation after intravitreal dexamethasone 0.7 mg (Ozurdex®, Allergan, Irvine, CA, USA) implant. METHODS: A total of 86 eyes of 79 patients who underwent intravitreal dexamethasone implantation and who were followed for ≥ 3 months were included in the present study. IOP elevation was defined as a pressure > 21 mm Hg at some time during follow-up. RESULTS: Twenty-nine eyes (33.7%) had an IOP > 21 mm Hg after dexamethasone intravitreal implant. The incidence of IOP elevation increased rapidly at 2–3 months after dexamethasone intravitreal implant. The Kaplan-Meier estimated incidence of IOP elevation was 25.6 ± 4.7% (mean ± standard error) at 81 days. Cox multivariate analysis showed the significant risk factors of IOP elevation to be age < 55 years (p = 0.045), baseline IOP ≥ 15 mm Hg (p < 0.001), and history of intraocular surgery (p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the incidence of IOP elevation to be 33.7% and describes the risk factors associated with IOP elevation. Clinicians should be cautious regarding the possibility of IOP elevation after intravitreal dexamethasone implant, especially in the presence of identified risk factors.
Dexamethasone* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Intraocular Pressure* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Risk Factors*

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to determine whether nano-sized carbon black exposure results in greater damage in high fat diet-induced overweight rats than normal weight ones and to identify the possible causes of any differences. METHODS: Two groups of Sprague-Dawley rats allocated by body weight (normal and overweight) were exposed to aerosolized nano-sized carbon black for 6 hours a day, 5 days per week over a 4-week period. Differential cell counts, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities and albumin concentrations were measured in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, and histopathological findings in the lungs were evaluated. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin (IL)-6 were measured in BAL fluid and supernatants of lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-stimulated lymphocyte culture. RESULTS: Rats exposed to high concentrations of nano-sized carbon black showed significantly increased (p<0.05) polymorphonuclear leukocyte number and LDH activity in the BAL fluid from both overweight and normal rats. Mild histopathological changes were observed in normal rats irrespective of carbon black concentrations. However, severe histological scores were found in overweight rats (1.75+/-0.46, 2.25+/-0.46, and 2.88+/-0.35 after low, medium, and high concentration exposures). Proinflammatory cytokine levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 were significantly higher in the supernatant of LPS-stimulated lymphocytes of overweight rats, whereas there was no significant difference in the BAL fluid between normal and overweight rats. CONCLUSIONS: Inflammation and damage to lungs exposed to nano-sized carbon black was more severe in high fat diet-induced overweight rats compared to normal rats.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; Carbon* ; Cell Count ; Inflammation ; Inhalation ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukins ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Lung* ; Lymphocytes ; Neutrophils ; Obesity ; Overweight* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Soot* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder affected by multiple genetic, hormonal and environmental factors, which makes it impossible to identify the exact cause of this ailment by only investigating SLE patients, who are genetically heterogeneous, and live in various environments. Therefore, the study of mouse models of lupus has provided valuable clues to help identify, and to validate, novel molecular pathways and targets implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease. While there is no perfect model to reflect all the disease phenotypes observed in human patients, disease subsets are represented in various animal models, which allows modulation of a particular pathophysiological pathway, resulting in the possibility of dissecting its specific contribution to disease development. Spontaneous mouse models of lupus have led to identification of numerous susceptibility loci, from which several candidate genes have been found, while induced models of lupus have provided insight into the role of environmental factors, as well as a better understanding of the cellular mechanisms by which SLE develops. Animal models also allow us to screen and evaluate potential preventive and therapeutic agents. Correlation of specific pathways in animal models to subsets of human disease offers the unique possibility of more accurate preclinical predictions of efficacy for single or combinatorial therapeutic approaches in the clinic. Here, we introduce various animal models of SLE, and review current data focused on genetic factors that are associated with susceptibility or phenotypes of lupus, leading into the present understanding of the genetic basis in lupus pathogenesis.
Animals ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Phenotype

This study was performed to investigate the effects of a levan diet on the body fat accumulation and serum lipid composition of 29 Korean women over a period of up to 12 weeks (n = 13 for the control group, n = 16 for the levan group). The subjects ate an uncooked diet (6 g) with 400 ml of tap water twice a day. The mean body weight and height measurements of the subjects (levan group) at the outset were 66.0 +/- 8.8 kg and 156.7 +/- 5.3 cm, respectively. The subjects showed a significant reduction in weight, body fat mass, anthropometric measurements and skinfold thickness during the experimental period. The waist hip ratio (WHR) was 0.88 +/- 0.03 at the outset, and fell to 0.82 +/- 0.05 after 4 weeks. The intake of levan was also influenced on the levels of serum Fe, leptin, lipoprotein lipase, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride. The serum glucose levels were within the normal range during the experimental period. The initial serum triglyceride level was 121 mg/dl, but fell to 103 mg/dl after 4 weeks of levan supplementation. The current study demonstrates that a levan diet is effective in controlling weight, body fat, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
Adipose Tissue* ; Blood Glucose ; Body Weight ; Diet ; Female ; Fructose* ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Leptin ; Lipoprotein Lipase ; Obesity ; Polymers* ; Reference Values ; Skinfold Thickness ; Triglycerides ; Waist-Hip Ratio ; Water

Implant success is achieved by the synergistic combination of numerous biomechanical factors. This report examines the mechanical aspect of implants. In particular, it is focused on macrodesign such as thread shape, pitch, width and depth, and crestal module of implants. This study reviews the literature regarding the effect of implant thread geometry on primary stability and osseointegration under immediate loading. The search strategy included both in vitro and in vivo studies published in the MEDLINE database from January 2000 to June 2014. Various geometrical parameters are analyzed to evaluate their significance for optimal stress distribution, implant surface area, and bone remodeling responses during the process of osseointegration.
Bone Remodeling ; Dental Implants ; Osseointegration*

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical and radiologic manifestations of idiopathic optic perineuritis (OPN), and to evaluate the outcomes of steroid treatment for OPN. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records and radiologic findings of 10 patients (13 eyes) who were diagnosed with OPN and treated with steroid. RESULTS: The mean age was 56.5 +/- 9.3 years (range, 35-77 years) and the sex ratio was equal. The main complaint was decrease in visual acuity combined with ocular pain during extraocular eye movement in 9 patients. The median visual acuity at the first visit was 0.2 (HM-0.8) and the relative afferent papillary defect was observed in 12 eyes. Additionally, combined orbital diseases included posterior scleritis in 1 eye and myositis in 1 eye. Orbit magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans demonstrated intraorbital optic nerve sheath enhancement in all patients, occasionally with orbital fat involvement. All patients demonstrated improved visual acuity after high-dose oral steroid therapy (6 patients) or intravenous (IV) pulse steroid therapy (4 patients). Relapse occurred in 4 patients during steroid tapering. CONCLUSIONS: The population in this study was composed predominantly of patients with OPN in their 50's. The primary symptom of OPN was visual acuity decrease combined with ocular pain during extraocular eye movement. Radiologically, orbit MRI scans demonstrated intraorbital optic nerve sheath enhancement. The patients in this study demonstrated good responses to steroid treatment, but clinicians must be aware of the high recurrence rate during steroid tapering in this condition. A combination of clinical and radiologic findings was helpful to diagnose OPN.
Eye Movements ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Medical Records ; Myositis ; Optic Nerve ; Optic Neuritis ; Orbit ; Orbital Diseases ; Recurrence ; Scleritis ; Sex Ratio ; Visual Acuity