No abstract available.
Meningitis* ; Meningitis, Viral*

Diabetic calcaneal insufficiency avulsion (CIA) fracture are unusual injury. The treatment may be challenging due to the low healing potential from diabetes or Charcot neuroarthropathy, so far. The poor surgical outcomes and surgical failures from treatment of the traumatic calcaneal avulsion fractures were associated with poor bone stock, lack of proper fixation, and the wound problem. Thus, the proper treatment for diabetic CIA fracture was still controversy. This report described two cases of diabetic CIA fracture treated with fixation of fracture fragment and calcaneal tenodesis. In both cases, fracture fragments were re-avulsed despite of fixation. Through investigation for the fate of fracture fragment from these cases, we discussed the proper treatment strategy in diabetic CIA fracture.
Tenodesis ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiologic outcome of syndesmosis fixation using TightRope™ (Arthrex, Naples, FL, USA) in acute syndesmosis injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five consecutive patients with acute syndesmosis injuries, treated using TightRope™, were reviewed. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and at the last follow-up (at least 12 months postoperatively). Clinical outcomes were assessed using American Orthopaedics Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score and self-subjective satisfaction survey. Three radiologic parameters were evaluated two times at the preoperative and final follow up from the nonweightbearing ankle anteroposterior radiographs. RESULTS: The mean AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score was 95.5 at the final follow-up. According to the satisfaction survey, 21 patients chose excellent, and four patients chose good. All radiologic parameters, including the mean tibiofibular clear space, mean tibiofibular overlap, and mean medial clear space on nonweightbearing ankle anteroposterior view, significantly improved after surgery. Complications occurred in only one patient who experienced knot irritation with infection. CONCLUSION: The short-term surgical results of syndesmosis fixation using TightRope™ were good to excellent, both clinically and radiographically. These results suggest that the fixation using TightRope™ is a valid option for acute syndesmosis injury.
Ankle Fractures ; Ankle Joint* ; Ankle* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Humans ; Orthopedic Fixation Devices

No abstract available.
Catheters* ; Humans ; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy ; Oxygen* ; Thrombotic Microangiopathies*

No abstract available.
Catheters* ; Humans ; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy ; Oxygen* ; Thrombotic Microangiopathies*

PURPOSE: Local recurrence is the most common cause of failure in retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma patients after surgical resection. Postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) is infrequently used due to its high complication risk. We investigated the efficacy of PORT using modern techniques in patients with retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty patients, who underwent surgical resection for non-metastatic primary retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma at the Yonsei Cancer Center between 1994 and 2015, were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty-eight (47.5%) patients received PORT: three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy in 29 and intensity-modulated radiotherapy in nine patients. Local failure-free survival (LFFS), overall survival (OS), and RT-related toxicities were investigated. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 37.1 months (range, 5.8–207.9). Treatment failure occurred in 47 (58.8%) patients including local recurrence in 33 (41.3%), distant metastasis in eight (10%), and both occurred in six (7.5%) patients. The 2-year and 5-year LFFS rates were 63.9% and 47.9%, respectively. The 2-year and 5-year OS rates were 87.5% and 71.1%. The 5-year LFFS rate was significantly higher in PORT group than in no-PORT group (74.2% vs. 24.3%, p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, PORT was the only independent prognostic factor for LFFS. However, there was no significant correlation between RT dose and LFFS. OS showed no significant difference between the two groups. Grade ≤2 acute toxicities were observed in 63% of patients, but no acute toxicity ≥grade 3 was observed. CONCLUSION: PORT using modern technique markedly reduced local recurrence in retroperitoneal sarcoma patients, with low toxicity. The optimal RT technique, in terms of RT dose and target volume, should be further investigated.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiotherapy* ; Radiotherapy, Conformal ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sarcoma* ; Treatment Failure

Strongyloidiasis is caused by Strongyloides stercoralis and is one of the most neglected tropical diseases in tropical and subtropical regions. Although several strongyloidiasis cases have been reported in Korea, genetic analysis of Korean isolates is still incomplete. In this study, a parasite was isolated from a 61-year-old man diagnosed with strongyloidiasis during the treatment of lymphoma on his retroperitoneal lymph node. Diffuse symmetric wall thickening from the ascending to descending colon and a nematode-infected intestine was observed following microscopic examination. Genomic DNA was isolated from a patient tissue block, and S. stercoralis was identified by PCR and sequencing (18S rDNA). In order to determine phylogenetic location of a Korean isolate (named KS1), we analyzed cox1 gene (500-bp) and compared it with that from 47 previous S. stercoralis isolates (28 human isolates and 19 canid isolates) from Asian countries. Our results showed that phylogenetic tree could clearly be divided into 5 different groups according to hosts and regions. KS1 was most closely related with the Chinese isolates in terms of genetic distance.

Strongyloidiasis is caused by Strongyloides stercoralis and is one of the most neglected tropical diseases in tropical and subtropical regions. Although several strongyloidiasis cases have been reported in Korea, genetic analysis of Korean isolates is still incomplete. In this study, a parasite was isolated from a 61-year-old man diagnosed with strongyloidiasis during the treatment of lymphoma on his retroperitoneal lymph node. Diffuse symmetric wall thickening from the ascending to descending colon and a nematode-infected intestine was observed following microscopic examination. Genomic DNA was isolated from a patient tissue block, and S. stercoralis was identified by PCR and sequencing (18S rDNA). In order to determine phylogenetic location of a Korean isolate (named KS1), we analyzed cox1 gene (500-bp) and compared it with that from 47 previous S. stercoralis isolates (28 human isolates and 19 canid isolates) from Asian countries. Our results showed that phylogenetic tree could clearly be divided into 5 different groups according to hosts and regions. KS1 was most closely related with the Chinese isolates in terms of genetic distance.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) exert a novel function of trapping pathogens. Released NETs can accumulate in inflamed tissues, be recognized by other immune cells for clearance, and lead to tissue toxicity. Therefore, the deleterious effect of NET is an etiological factor, causing several diseases directly or indirectly. NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) in neutrophils is pivotal in signaling the innate immune response and is associated with several NET-related diseases. Despite these observations, the role of NLRP3 in NET formation in neuroinflammation remains elusive. Therefore, we aimed to explore NET formation promoted by NLRP3 in an LPS-induced inflamed brain. Wild-type and NLRP3 knockout mice were used to investigate the role of NLRP3 in NET formation. Brain inflammation was systemically induced by administering LPS. In such an environment, the NET formation was evaluated based on the expression of its characteristic indicators. DNA leakage and NET formation were analyzed in both mice through Western blot, flow cytometry, and in vitro live cell imaging as well as two-photon imaging. Our data revealed that NLRP3 promotes DNA leakage and facilitates NET formation accompanied by neutrophil death. Moreover, NLRP3 is not involved in neutrophil infiltration but is predisposed to boost NET formation, which is accompanied by neutrophil death in the LPS-induced inflamed brain. Furthermore, either NLRP3 deficiency or neutrophil depletion diminished pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-1β, and alleviated blood-brain barrier damage. Overall, the results suggest that NLRP3 exacerbates NETosis in vitro and in the inflamed brain, aggravating neuroinflammation.These findings provide a clue that NLRP3 would be a potential therapeutic target to alleviate neuroinflammation.

Adipose tissue, well known for its endocrine function, plays an immunological role in the body. The inflamed adipose tissue under LPS-induced systemic inflammation is characterized by the dominance of pro-inflammatory immune cells, particularly neutrophils.Although migration of macrophages toward damaged or dead adipocytes to form a crownlike structure in inflamed adipose tissue has been revealed, the neutrophilic interaction with adipocytes or the extracellular matrix remains unknown. Here, we demonstrated the involvement of adhesion molecules, particularly integrin α6β1, of neutrophils in adipocytes or the extracellular matrix of inflamed adipose tissue interaction. These results suggest that disrupting the adhesion between adipose tissue components and neutrophils may govern the accumulation of excessive neutrophils in inflamed tissues, a prerequisite in developing antiinflammatory therapeutics by inhibiting inflammatory immune cells.