We describe S100 protein positive dendritic cells (S100+DCs) in various liver diseases including chronic viral hepatitis B and C (20 cases), liver cirrhosis (3 cases), hepatocellular carcinoma (2 cases), hepatolithiasis (6 cases), primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) (2 cases), liver allograft rejection (9 cases), bile duct paucity (1 case), and Wilson's disease (1 case). By immunohistochemical analysis, S100+DCs were absent in fetal and normal livers, while they were variably present in inflammatory liver diseases. In chronic hepatitis and active cirrhosis, S100+DCs were most frequently located in periportal area, at lymphoid follicles within the portal tract, and at foci of spotty necrosis within the lobule. Frequency and intensity of S100+DCs were not related to etiologies of liver diseases, but they were correlated with the activity of hepatitis. In PBC, S100+DCs were found between biliary epithelial cells of the septal bile ducts, as well as, the periductal area of the portal tracts. A posttransplantation liver with features of moderate acute rejection revealed many S100+DCs in polymorphous portal infiltrates. In hepatocellular carcinomas, many S100+DCs were scattered between tumor cells. In the case of the Wilson's disease, S100+DCs were not noted. Presence of S100+DCs in various inflammatory liver diseases indicates that they play a central role as antigen presenting cells in immune responses of inflammatory liver diseases.
Allografts ; Antigen-Presenting Cells ; Bile Ducts ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Dendritic Cells* ; Epithelial Cells ; Fibrosis ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Hepatolenticular Degeneration ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary ; Liver Diseases* ; Liver* ; Necrosis

Intestinal capillariasis is caused by a small trichurid nematode, Capillaria philippinensis, which infects freshwater fish as intermediate hosts and subsequently fish eating birds as definitive hosts. It has occurred in areas such as the Philippines and Thailand where people eat raw fish. We report an imported case of intestinal capillariasis in a 31-year-old Korean man who lived in Saipan for ten years. He suffered from diarrhea with weight loss, abdominal distension, and pitting edema in the lower extremities for two years. He ate raw freshwater fish in the Saipan 2 years ago. The diagnosis was confirmed by jejunal biopsy. Flat mucosal surface without villi contained sections of numerous round worms with stichosome, larvae, and eggs which were identified as Capillaria philippinensis. The patient was successfully treated with albendazole.
Adult ; Albendazole ; Biopsy ; Birds ; Capillaria ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Eating ; Edema ; Eggs ; Fresh Water ; Humans ; Larva ; Lower Extremity ; Ovum ; Philippines ; Protein-Losing Enteropathies* ; Thailand ; Weight Loss

To investigate the development of the reticular network of the thymus with aging and under pathologic conditions, we performed reticulin stains on the following samples; 5 fetal thymi (22 to 33 weeks of gestational age) and 35 postnatal thymi (less than 1 month to 33 years of age). The latter included 1 hyperplastic thymus, 4 pathologically involuted thymi and 1 physiologically involuted thymus as well as 29 normal thymi. Reticulin fibers were invariably seen along the capsule and interlobular septae of all the thymi. In fetal thymi, reticulin fibers circumscribed only cortical blood vessels and Hassall's corpuscles. Postnatal thymi from the children aged less than 1 month showed discontinuous reticulin fibers along the blood vessels of the corticomedullary junction. With aging, the amount of reticulin fibers increased and formed a "fibroreticular network(FRN)" from the branching point of the interlobular septae along the corticomedullary junction. It completely circumscribed the outer medulla in fully developed thymi. In the hyperplastic thymus, the reticular network retained its original structure. Both pathologically and physiologically involuted thymi revealed irregularly collapsed reticulin fibers. These findings suggest that the reticular network of the thymus consists of FRNs as well as capsule and interlobular septae and matures with aging before involution.
Adult ; Aging/*pathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Thymus Gland/cytology/*pathology

To characterize thymic epithelial cells of SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency) mice in comparison with those of Balb C mice, we did an immunohistochemical study using cortical and medullary epithelial cell specific monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs), Th-3 and Th-4, as well as gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. The thymi of SCID mice were composed of epithelial cells and a few lymphocytes. Most epithelial cells were immunostained diffusely with Th-3, which indicated that they might be "cortical-type" epithelial cells. There were a few clusters of stellate cells with dendritic processes which were negative with Th-3 but stained strongly with Th-4. Cortical type epithelial cells and most of the Th-4 reacting cells were strongly immunostained with cytokeratin antibody MNF116. By immunoblotting, cytokeratin polypeptides No. 10 and 18 were detected in both SCID and Balb C mice; however, the relative amounts of each cytokeratin polypeptides were different. With immunohistochemical and immunoblotting results, we conclude; 1) Th-3 and Th-4 are reliable markers for cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells in SCID mice; 2) disorganization of cells thymic structure is mostly due to maldevelopment of medullary epithelial and T lymphocytes; and 3) the composition of cytokeratin subfamilies of SCID mice thymi may represent a phenotypic marker of the maldevelopment of medullary epithelial cells.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Epithelium/pathology ; Immunoblotting ; Keratins/analysis ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, SCID ; Severe Combined Immunodeficiency/*pathology ; Thymus Gland/*pathology

Heart transplantation was first performed in 1967. It is now regarded as a well-established treatment modality for end-stage cardiac diseases. Once the transplantation is performed, endomyocardial biopsy(EMB) is the examination of choice in monitoring the transplanted heart. We analyzed the pathological findings of follow-up EMB of 6 heart transplant patients. All patients have been suffered from severe heart failure. Four patients were adult male and two were adult females. All the hearts, except for one, displayed characteristic features of dilated cardiomyopathy. The remaining heart was diagnosed as having giant cell myocarditis. Post-transplantion EMBs were performed according to the protocol and standard cardiac biopsy grading of ISHT (1990). The standards were applied for grading of cellular rejection. In five patients, there were one or two episodes of biopsy proven acute rejection, grade II or IIIA without any clinical symptoms of rejection. Immediate "pulse therapy" was performed and follow-up biopsies were done. All episodes of rejection were cleared in subsequent biopsies. All patients are doing well without evidence of cardiac problem. The postoperative monitoring of acute rejection is critical since clinical signs of rejection are usually absent. At present, EMB is regarded as the most reliable method for diagnosis and grading of acute rejection and is an efficient guide to the monitoring of the cardiac recipients. Our experience of post-transplantation EMB corresponds with previously published reports.
Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Biopsy

Coccidioidomycosis is an endemic disease found in the southwestern part of North America. Travellers who visit the endemic area may carry the infection. We report a case of pulmonary coccidioidomycosis in a 74-year-old woman. She was healthy before visiting Arizona, U.S.A twice. After returning home, she began to complain of intermittent dry coughing. The symptom was mild, however, and she was treated symptomatically. Later a chest radiograph, which was taken 4 years after the onset of the symptom, showed a solitary pulmonary nodule in the right upper lobe. By percutaneous needle aspiration, a few clusters of atypical cells were noted in the necrotic background. A right upper and middle lobectomy was done. A 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.2 cm sized tan nodule was present in otherwise normal lung parenchyma. Microscopically, the nodule consisted of aggregates of multiple solid granulomas inside of which was mostly necrotic. Neutrophils and nuclear debris were scattered along the periphery of the necrotic foci. Numerous multinucleated giant cells were associated with the granulomas. In the necrotic area, mature spherules of Coccidioides immitis, which were 30-100 microm in diameter, were present. They contained numerous endospores which ranged from 5 to 15 microm and were also noted in multinucleated giant cells. The diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis was made. She is doing well after the resection.
Aged ; Case Report ; Coccidioides* ; Coccidioidomycosis/pathology ; Coccidioidomycosis/microbiology* ; Female ; Human ; Korea ; Lung Diseases, Fungal/pathology ; Lung Diseases, Fungal/microbiology*

Autoimmune sera have been used in the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases as well as the analysis of nuclear substructures. In an attempt to study the biological characteristics of the nuclear matrix, we screened human sera using immunofluorescent staining and immunoblot. We detected antibodies against nuclear matrix (NM), a remnant nonchromatin protein compartment after the treatment of detergent, salt and nuclease, in 212 out of 284 tested sera (74.6%) by immunoblot. Peptides with molecular weights of 70 kDa, 50 kDa and 25 kDa were detected in the order of frequency. Clinical informations of 198 out of 212 cases were available and went as follows: 38 cases were autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis; 132 non-autoimmune and non-neoplastic diseases; 16 neoplastic diseases and 12 cases unclassified. The immunofluorescent staining intensity by anti-nuclear matrix protein (NMP) antibodies decreased variably, but fibrillogranular, speckled and nucleolar immunolocalization patterns were retained after in situ fractionation. Ku70 and La protein were detected by anti-NMP antibodies. Immunolocalization by anti-NMP antibodies indicates that the NMPs constitute a variety of characteristic nuclear substructures and may serve as autoantigens in diverse human diseases. In addition, the presence of Ku70 and La protein as NMPs suggests that the NM can be functionally active in association with DNA or RNA.
Autoantigens/analysis* ; Autoimmune Diseases/immunology ; Autoimmune Diseases/blood ; Base Sequence ; DNA, Complementary ; DNA-Binding Proteins/analysis* ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Hela Cells ; Human ; Immunoblotting ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Nuclear Matrix/immunology ; Nuclear Proteins/analysis* ; Ribonucleoproteins/analysis* ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

BACKGROUND: Dependent self-employment is precarious employment, which can be vulnerable to mental health problems. This study aimed to investigate the association of dependent self-employment with depression, anxiety, and sleep disorder in South Korea. METHODS: This study used data from the Fourth Korean Working Conditions Survey and included 32,691 paid workers. Dependent self-employment and self-reported depression/anxiety, and sleep disorder were investigated using a questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between dependent self-employment and mental health problems. RESULTS: Of the 32,691 paid workers, 2,371 (7.3%) were dependent self-employed workers. The odds ratio (OR) of dependent self-employment for self-reported depression/anxiety was 1.78 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29–2.45) and the OR of dependent self-employment for self-reported sleep disorder was 1.26 (95% CI: 1.01–1.59) compared to other paid workers. CONCLUSIONS: Dependent self-employment is related to an increased risk of self-reported depression/anxiety and sleep disorder in South Korea.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Employment ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Mental Health ; Odds Ratio ; Sleep Wake Disorders

Background: The normal vertebral anatomy of Korean raccoon dogs and their variants require research attention as a prerequisite for identifying pathologies and anomalies. Objectives: This retrospective study aimed at describing the vertebral formula and congenital vertebral anomalies in Korean raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides koreensis). Methods: Radiographs of 82 raccoon dogs (42 males, 40 females) acquired from May 2013 to June 2020 in the Gangwon Wildlife Medical Rescue Center were reviewed to evaluate the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae of the spine. Results: Normal morphology of all vertebrae was observed in 50 of the 82 raccoon dogs, and the vertebral formula was cervical 7, thoracic 13, and lumbar 7. Congenital vertebral anomalies were found in 32 raccoon dogs: transitional vertebrae (TV) in 31 and block vertebrae in 2. Two raccoon dogs had 2 types of vertebral anomalies: one had TV and block vertebra, and the other had 2 types of TV. Twenty-nine raccoon dogs had thoracolumbar TV (TTV) and 3 had lumbosacral TV. TTV was morphologically classified into 4 different types:unilateral extra-rib in 5 raccoon dogs, bilateral extra-ribs in 14, bilateral elongated transverse processes in 4, and an asymmetric mixed formation of extra-rib with elongated transverse process in 6. Conclusions This study showed that TTV is common in Korean raccoon dogs, and that the vertebral formula is relatively diverse. The bilateral extra-ribs type TTV is the most common variant, which is almost similar to normal rib to be confused the radiographic evaluation.

Background: The normal vertebral anatomy of Korean raccoon dogs and their variants require research attention as a prerequisite for identifying pathologies and anomalies. Objectives: This retrospective study aimed at describing the vertebral formula and congenital vertebral anomalies in Korean raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides koreensis). Methods: Radiographs of 82 raccoon dogs (42 males, 40 females) acquired from May 2013 to June 2020 in the Gangwon Wildlife Medical Rescue Center were reviewed to evaluate the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae of the spine. Results: Normal morphology of all vertebrae was observed in 50 of the 82 raccoon dogs, and the vertebral formula was cervical 7, thoracic 13, and lumbar 7. Congenital vertebral anomalies were found in 32 raccoon dogs: transitional vertebrae (TV) in 31 and block vertebrae in 2. Two raccoon dogs had 2 types of vertebral anomalies: one had TV and block vertebra, and the other had 2 types of TV. Twenty-nine raccoon dogs had thoracolumbar TV (TTV) and 3 had lumbosacral TV. TTV was morphologically classified into 4 different types:unilateral extra-rib in 5 raccoon dogs, bilateral extra-ribs in 14, bilateral elongated transverse processes in 4, and an asymmetric mixed formation of extra-rib with elongated transverse process in 6. Conclusions This study showed that TTV is common in Korean raccoon dogs, and that the vertebral formula is relatively diverse. The bilateral extra-ribs type TTV is the most common variant, which is almost similar to normal rib to be confused the radiographic evaluation.