PURPOSE: The function of regulatory B lymphocytes is known to be abnormal in inflammatory diseases. However, a recent study indicates that IL-10+ B cells seem to be expanded in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therefore, the state of IL-10+ B cells in the peripheral blood from RA patients and healthy controls were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CD19+ cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were purified from blood samples of RA patients and age and gender-matched healthy controls, and stimulated with CD40 ligand and CpG for 48 hours. Then, intracellular IL-10 in CD19+ cells was analyzed using flow cytometry. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the proportion of IL-10+ B cells between 10 RA patients and 10 healthy controls (RA, 0.300+/-0.07 vs. healthy control 0.459+/-0.07, p=0.114). The proportion of induced IL-10+ B cells to total B cells in RA patients was significantly higher than those in controls (RA, 4.44+/-3.44% vs. healthy control 2.44+/-1.64%, p=0.033). However, the proportion of IL-10+ B cells to total B cells correlated negatively with disease activity in RA patients (r=-0.398, p=0.040). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C-reactive protein or medication was not associated with the proportion of IL-10+ B cells. CONCLUSION: The proportion of induced IL-10+ B cell increased in RA patients compared to healthy control, however, negatively correlated with disease activity in RA.
Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, CD19/metabolism ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/blood/*immunology/pathology ; B-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/metabolism/*physiology ; Biological Markers/blood ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-10/metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Severity of Illness Index

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The endoscopic injection therapy with hypertonic saline-epinephrine(HSE) and absolute ethanol are the most widely and easily used procedure in the management of patients with bleeding peptic ulcers. We performed a prospective, randomized trial to compare the hemostatic efficacy between HSE and absolute ethanol injection therapy. METHODS: During the period of 1993 to 1996, 60 patients who were identified as active bleeding or visible vessel were enrolled for this trial. The 60 patients were randomly divided into two groups(HSE group, 30 cases: ethhnol group, 30 cases). We performed endoscopic injection therapy with 3% saline and 1:10,000 epinephrine solution in HSE group, and with 99.5% absolute ethanol in ethanol group. The two groups were matched for sex, age, site of bleeding, endoscopic findings, initial hemoglobin, and concomitant illness at randomization. RESULTS: Bleeding was initially controlled in 21(70%) of the HSE group and in 29(96.7%) of the ethanol group(p < 0.05). Rebleeding occurred in 4(19%) of the HSE group and in 2(6.9%) of the ethanol group(p < 0.1). The ethanl group achieved a better hemostatic effect for spurting hemorrhage(3/13 vs 9/10, p < 0.05). The emergent operations were undergone in 10(33.3%) and 2(6.7%) for HSE group and ethanol group respectively(p < 0.01). The stay in hospital were less than in ethanol group(mean 9.5 vs 16.3, p < 0.01). The death were noticed in 6 cases(20%) in HSE group and 1 case(3.3%) in ethanol group(p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that absolute ethanol injection is more efficaceous and better satisfactory method in peptic ulcer bleeding.
Epinephrine ; Ethanol* ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Peptic Ulcer* ; Prospective Studies ; Random Allocation

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a clinical syndrome of unknown etiology characterized by aching and stiffness in the shoulder girdle, pelvic girdle, and neck that occurs in people over the age of 50 years. New-onset proximal muscle pain and stiffness in subjects older than 50 are the most common symptoms of PMR, but polymyalgic pain can also be present in patients with malignant neoplasms. The musculoskeletal system may be involved in malignancy either directly or indirectly, particularly in cases involving hematological malignancies. Only a few cases of cancer-associated PMR have been reported worldwide, and this is the first in Korea. We report the case of a 58-year-old man diagnosed with PMR associated with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Hematologic Neoplasms ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Muscles ; Musculoskeletal System ; Neck ; Paraneoplastic Syndromes ; Polymyalgia Rheumatica ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Shoulder

Myxoma is the most common primary tumor in the heart. Cardiac myxomas can present in various manners including embolization and fever, sometimes simulating endocarditis. However, they are rarely infected. We report here a case of an infected left atrial myxoma that seeded a normal mitral valve and atypically presented with multiple embolic events in the lower extremities along with multiple splenic and a cerebellar infarction.
Endocarditis ; Fever ; Heart ; Infarction ; Lower Extremity ; Mitral Valve ; Myxoma ; Seeds

An elastofibroma, which is a rare soft tissue tumor, was excised from the left subscapular region of a 82-year-old woman. An elastofibroma is a slow-growing, pseudotumoral lesion of the soft tissues of the chest wall with peculiar radiological (CT, MR) and ultrasonographic images, and histological patterns. All cases need to undergo a biopsy in order to rule out a sarcoma. An elastofibroma is a benign tumor. If left untreated, it can grow to a considerable size and become symptomatic. Therefore it needs to be closely observed and its nature confirmed by a biopsy. This condition is rarely encountered in Korea. However, more patients could be diagnosed if more careful attention to elastofibroma is paid.
Aged, 80 and over ; Biopsy ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Sarcoma ; Thoracic Wall

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate changes of vascular endothelial growth factor levels in maternal circulating blood during normal pregnancies and examine their relationship with maternal platelet counts. METHODS: The 33 subjects were selected from healthy normotensive women from the antenatal clinic at Korea University Medical Center, Guro Hospital. Blood samples for VEGF were taken at 7 to 8 weeks' gestation, 16 to 18 weeks' gestation, 24 to 26 weeks' gestation, 30 to 32 weeks' gestation, 37 to 41 weeks' gestation. Serum and plasma were extracted from all samples, and VEGF concentrations were measured in duplicates by competitive enzyme immunoassay. The 23 of them, the platelet counts were performed with an automated blood Coulter counter. RESULTS: Serum VEGF levels during normal pregnancies were mean 6.73 ng/mL at 7-8 weeks' gestation, 7.88 ng/mL at 16-18 weeks' gestation, 7.18 ng/mL at 24-26 weeks' gestation, 8.42 ng/mL at 30-32 weeks' gestation, 14.03 ng/mL at 37-41 weeks' gestation. Plasma VEGF levels were mean 5.50 ng/ mL at 7-8 weeks' gestation, 7.23 ng/mL at 16-18 weeks' gestation, 7.98 ng/mL at 24-26 weeks' gestation, 7.35 ng/mL at 30-32 weeks' gestation, 14.05 ng/mL at 37-41 weeks' gestation. The trends in the mean VEGF levels were similar between serum and plasma, with stable levels until 30 to 32 weeks' gestation, and then the levels were increased. There was no significant difference between serum VEGF levels and plasma VEGF levels (p=0.236) and no correlation between circulating VEGF levels and platelet counts. CONCLUSION: Our data suggests that platelets may not be the origin of elevated VEGF levels in normal pregnancies because there was no correlation between VEGF levels and platelet counts.
Academic Medical Centers ; Blood Platelets* ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Korea ; Plasma ; Platelet Count* ; Pregnancy* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

To date, it has been well documented that there is a relationship between alterations in thyroid hormones and cardiac dysfunction. We experienced a case of a 36-year-old man with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) accompanied by undiagnosed primary hypothyroidism. In the current case, there was a significant improvement in the cardiac function following heart failure management and thyroid hormone replacement. Our case highlights that clinicians should consider the possibility of hypothyroidism as a cause of DCM.
Adult ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism* ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Hormones

Although spinal anesthesia is one of the most reliable anesthetic techniques in clinical practice, failures may occur in daily practice at rare occasions. Their causes are diverse and they include anatomical structural variations. In particular, postoperative anatomical changes often occur in patients who have undergone spine surgery and may cause failures of spinal anesthesia. Postoperative pseudomeningocele constitutes extradural cerebrospinal fluid collected from a dural tear and it is considered a very rare complication of spine surgery. We describe the case where a patient with unexpected postoperative iatrogenic pseudomeningocele received lower extremity surgery under spinal anesthesia.
Anesthesia, Spinal ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Spine ; Tears

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics of colon cancers detected at the SOK Sokpeynhan Internal Medical Network, a nationwide system of primary health care institutions. METHODS: We analyzed 579 colon cancer patients diagnosed using colonoscopy at the SOK network from January 2011 through December 2012. Cancers from the rectum to the splenic flexure were classified as left colon cancer. Patients over 65 were classified as senior. RESULTS: The mean age (+/-SD) of subjects was 60.9+/-10.5 years and 61.1% were men. More than one quarter (28.2%) of patients were asymptomatic. The prevalence of left colon cancer was higher (77.9%) than that for right colon cancer. The most frequent macroscopic and histologic types were depressed (58.9%) and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (52.2%), respectively. Asymptomatic subjects displayed protruding or well differentiated adenocarcinoma, while symptomatic patients were more likely to display depressed or moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (P<0.05). The mean age of the right colon cancer group was higher than that for the left colon cancer group (P<0.05). Among symptomatic patients, the most frequent symptoms were bloody stool for patients with left colon cancer and abdominal discomfort for patients with right colon cancer (P<0.05). The prevalence of depressed cancer was higher in older subjects as compared to younger subjects (P<0.05). The prevalence of right colon cancer tended to increase with age, although this difference did not achieve statistical significance (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Study results indicated an increase of colon cancer amongst younger demographics in recent years. The effectiveness of colonoscopy screening was also evident, as asymptomatic patients demonstrated frequent findings of well differentiated adenocarcinomas. Study results also suggested a need for closer examination of older patients, as right colon cancer tended to increase with age.
Adenocarcinoma ; Colon, Transverse ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Colonoscopy ; Demography ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Population Characteristics ; Prevalence ; Primary Health Care* ; Rectum