Recently the use of hydrochloric acid as a toilet disinfectant has become more common, and the risk of its ingestion is though to be increasing. We experienced a case of 67 year-old man who accidentally ingested hydrochloric acid and as a result developed a postprandial epigastric fullness end pain 3 weeks thereafter, The patient underwent an UGI series, fiberoptic gastroscope and abdominal ultrasonography and was found to have a gastric midbody stricture. A total gastreetomy and Roux-en- Y esophagojejunostomy was performed. We report this case with brief review of the literature.
Aged ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Eating ; Gastritis* ; Gastroscopes ; Humans ; Hydrochloric Acid* ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy of X-ray evaluation in classification, displacement and size of posterior malleolar fragment, comparing with three dimensional computed tomography (3D CT) in trimallelar ankle fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 20 cases of trimalleolar ankle fractures evaluated with preoperative 3D CT, and followed up periods were at least 2 years. All cases were classified according to the Danis-Weber and Lauge-Hansen classification. Displacement and size of posterior malleolar fragment were measured using PACS. The reliability between simple X-ray and 3D CT was evaluated in the Danis-Weber and Lauge-Hansen classification (kappa analysis). The correlation between simple X-ray and 3D CT was evaluated in displacement and size of posterior malleolar fragment (correlation analysis). RESULTS: Degree of agreement of Danis-Weber classification in simple X-ray and 3D CT was 0.700 kappa value, and that of Lauge-Hansen was 0.605 kappa value. Measurement of simple X-ray and 3D CT about displaced status of posterior malleolar fragment showed statistically significant positive linear correlation (p= 0.000), but correlation of measurement of size in simple X-ray and CT was not statistically significant (p=0.102). CONCLUSION: CT or operative field will be more accurate than simple X-ray to select the method of treatment and operation, especially when the displacement and size of posterior malleolar fragment are important to decide.
Ankle ; Ankle Fractures* ; Classification

BACKGROUND: Leptin has been found to be involved in the regulation of hematopoiesis processes and angiogenesis. Therefore, we investigated the effect of leptin in the proliferation and angiogenesis of peripheral blood (PB)-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). METHODS: Mononuclear cells were isolated from PB of healthy male volunteers and were cultured in endothelial cell growth medium-2 (EGM-2). After 6 days of culture, cells were treated with 50 ng/mL vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and/or with various concentrations of leptin (10 ng/mL, 100 ng/mL, 1microgram/mL, and 10 microgram/mL) and were further cultured for one week. Proliferation of EPCs was examined by an assay measuring the uptake of 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbo cyanine-labeled acetylated LDL (Dil-ac-LDL) and tubule formation on a matrigel. The control group of cells was not treated with VEGF and/or leptin. RESULTS: The number of Dil-ac-LDL labeled-EPCs, tubule formation on matrigel and the number of cells present along tubules were significantly increased in the leptin-treated groups of cells as compared to the control group or VEGF treated group of cells (P<.05). The effect was synergistically increased in the group of cells co-treated with leptin and VEGF. The number of EPCs was increased in a leptin dose-dependent manner that was maximal at a concentration of 1microgram/mL leptin. CONCLUSION: This study shows that leptin increased in vitro proliferation and angiogenesis of EPCs derived from peripheral blood.
Endothelial Cells ; Hematopoiesis ; Humans ; Leptin* ; Male ; Stem Cells* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Volunteers

A malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in adults. About 70% of tumors arise from the soft tissue of the extremities with only 12~14% of the tumors occur in the retroperitoneum. The clinical characteristics of this tumor consist of an abdominal mass, tendency for local recurrence, paraneoplastic syndrome and a poor prognosis. A 51-year-old woman was admitted to St. Vincent's Hospital with complaining of fever and an abdominal mass. Ultrasound and computed tomography revealed a huge, heterogenous mass in the lesser sac area. The patient underwent an extensive mass resection with a histologic examination revealing a MFH which was positive for alpha1- antitrypsin. We report a case of MFH presenting in the lesser sac with a review of the literatures.
Adult ; Extremities ; Female ; Fever ; Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Paraneoplastic Syndromes ; Peritoneal Cavity* ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Sarcoma ; Ultrasonography

D variant of encephalomyocarditis (EMC-D) virus causes diabetes in susceptible mice by direct infection and cytolysis of pancreatic beta cells. cDNA covering the major outer capsid protein (VP1) of EMC-D virus was cloned into Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG). None of the SJL/J male mice, immunized with live recombinant BCG-VP1, became diabetic when challenged with highly diabetogenic EMC-D virus. But the control mice inoculated with normal BCG or rBCG transformed with vector alone developed diabetes in the same challenge. VP1-specific antibodies including neutralizing antibodies were markedly increased as time went on and reached to the maximum titer at week 10 after a single immunization. The plateau of the titer lasted longer than following 4 weeks. Guinea pigs immunized with the live rBCG-VP1 showed strong delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) to the VP1of EMC-D virus. It means that the live rBCG-VP1 elicit efficient humoral and cell-mediated imrnune responses against EMC-D virus, resulting in prevention of virus-induced diabetes in susceptible mice.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; Bacillus ; Capsid Proteins ; Clone Cells ; DNA, Complementary ; Guinea Pigs ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunization* ; Insulin-Secreting Cells ; Male* ; Mice* ; Mycobacterium bovis*

BACKGROUND: Dermatophytoses are infections of keratinized tissues, that is, the epidermis, hair and nails, caused by a group of specialized fungi, the dermatophytes. Laboratory diagnoses of dermatophytes such as Tricophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton are made by microscopic examination and in vitro culture but they are either time consuming of lacking specificity. OBJECTIVE: In order to develop and apply more rapid and precise diagnostic tests for fungal pathogens to facilitate the improved identification of dermatophytes, we investigated random amplified polymorphism DNA for classification and identification of dermatophytes. METHODS: Amplification reactions were performed in volumes of 5011 containing 10mM Tris-HCl(pH 8.3), 50mM KCl, 1.5mM MgCl2, 0.01% (w/v), gelatin, 200mM dNTP mixture, 50pM primer, Taq polymerase (0.025 units/ microliter), DNA 0.001 microgram/microliter. The optimal condition to. PCR was 2 cycles (denaturing 94 degrees C 2min, annealing 33 degrees C 2min, extension 72 degrees C 4min), 40 cycles, and extension (72 degrees C 10min). RESULTS: RAPD showed interspecies polymorphism in but it had identical patterns in intraspecies. CONCLUSION: It was confirmed that RAPD PCR analysis with optimal conditions is a fast, economical and reproducible method for identification and classification of dermatophytes isolates.
Arthrodermataceae* ; Classification* ; Clinical Laboratory Techniques ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; DNA* ; Epidermis ; Epidermophyton ; Fungi ; Gelatin ; Hair ; Magnesium Chloride ; Microsporum ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Taq Polymerase ; Tinea

No abstract available.
Histamine* ; Pneumocytes*

OBJECTIVES: Manganese chloride (MnCl2) is one of heavy metals for causing neurogenerative dysfunction like Manganism. The purpose of this study was to determine the acute toxicity of MnCl2 using different times and various concentrations including whether manganese toxicity may involve in two intrinsic pathways, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and mitochondria dysfunction and lead to neuronal apoptosis mediated by organelle disorders in neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-MC. METHODS: In the acute toxicity test, five concentrations (200, 400, 600, 800, 1,000 uM) of MnCl2 with 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 hours exposure were selected to analyze cell viability. In addition, to better understand their toxicity, acute toxicity was examined with 1,000 uM MnCl2 for 24 hours exposure via reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondria membrane potential, western blotting and mitochondrial complex activities. RESULTS: Our results showed that both increments of dose and time prompt the increments in the number of dead cells. Cells treated by 1,000 microM MnCl2 activated 265% (+/-8.1) caspase-3 compared to control cell. MnCl2 induced intracellular ROS produced 168% (+/-2.3%) compared to that of the control cells and MnCl2 induced neurotoxicity significantly dissipated 48.9% of mitochondria membrane potential compared to the control cells. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that MnCl2 induced apoptosis via ER stress and mitochondria dysfunction. In addition, MnCl2 affected only complex I except complex II, III or IV activities.
Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Line ; Cell Survival ; Chlorides ; Endoplasmic Reticulum ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress ; Manganese ; Manganese Compounds ; Membrane Potentials ; Metals, Heavy ; Mitochondria ; Neuroblastoma ; Neurons ; Organelles ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Toxicity Tests, Acute

No abstract available.
Erythropoietin* ; Humans* ; Kidney Failure, Chronic*