No abstract available.

No abstract available.

Follicular adenoma is a benign encapsulated tumor with evidence of follicular cell differentiation. It is the most common thyroid neoplasm, usually solitary and has a well-defined fibrous capsule. We experienced a case of follicular adenoma occurring in congenital goiter and reported with the brief review of related literature
Adenoma* ; Cell Differentiation ; Goiter* ; Thyroid Neoplasms

Objectives: . The association between pet sensitization and pet ownership remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the association between pet sensitization and pet ownership by age. Methods: . We retrospectively reviewed 2,883 patients who visited our allergy clinic for nasal symptoms from January 2003 to December 2014, of whom 1,957 patients with data on skin-prick tests and questionnaire responses were included and divided into adults (age >19 years) and children (age ≤19 years). The association between pet sensitization and pet ownership was evaluated in both groups. Results: . Among children, dog and cat sensitization showed no associations with dog and cat ownership, respectively. However, among adults, dog sensitization was significantly associated with dog ownership (odds ratio [OR], 3.283; P<0.001), and cat sensitization with cat ownership (OR, 13.732; P<0.001). After adjustment for age, sex, familial history of allergy, sinusitis, diabetes mellitus, other pet ownership, and non-pet sensitization, significant associations remained between dog sensitization and dog ownership (adjusted OR [aOR], 3.881; P<0.001), and between cat sensitization and cat ownership (aOR, 10.804; P<0.001) among adults. Dog ownership did not show any association with allergic rhinitis, asthma, or atopic dermatitis, whereas atopic dermatitis had a significant association with cat ownership in adults (aOR, 4.840; P<0.001). Conclusion . Pet ownership in adulthood increased the risk of pet sensitization. However, pet ownership was not associated with the prevalence of atopic disorders, regardless of age, except for atopic dermatitis and cat ownership in adults.

Objectives: . The association between pet sensitization and pet ownership remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the association between pet sensitization and pet ownership by age. Methods: . We retrospectively reviewed 2,883 patients who visited our allergy clinic for nasal symptoms from January 2003 to December 2014, of whom 1,957 patients with data on skin-prick tests and questionnaire responses were included and divided into adults (age >19 years) and children (age ≤19 years). The association between pet sensitization and pet ownership was evaluated in both groups. Results: . Among children, dog and cat sensitization showed no associations with dog and cat ownership, respectively. However, among adults, dog sensitization was significantly associated with dog ownership (odds ratio [OR], 3.283; P<0.001), and cat sensitization with cat ownership (OR, 13.732; P<0.001). After adjustment for age, sex, familial history of allergy, sinusitis, diabetes mellitus, other pet ownership, and non-pet sensitization, significant associations remained between dog sensitization and dog ownership (adjusted OR [aOR], 3.881; P<0.001), and between cat sensitization and cat ownership (aOR, 10.804; P<0.001) among adults. Dog ownership did not show any association with allergic rhinitis, asthma, or atopic dermatitis, whereas atopic dermatitis had a significant association with cat ownership in adults (aOR, 4.840; P<0.001). Conclusion . Pet ownership in adulthood increased the risk of pet sensitization. However, pet ownership was not associated with the prevalence of atopic disorders, regardless of age, except for atopic dermatitis and cat ownership in adults.

Detailed information on additional drug resistance patterns of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is essential to build an effective treatment regimen; however, such data are scarce in Korea. We retrospectively analyzed the results of phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST) of culture confirmed-TB patients from January 2010 to December 2014 in 7 university hospitals in Korea. MDR-TB was identified among 6.8% (n = 378) of 5,599 isolates. A total of 57.1% (n = 216) of the MDR-TB patients had never been treated for TB. Strains from MDR-TB patients showed additional resistance to pyrazinamide (PZA) (35.7%), any second-line injectable drug (19.3%), and any fluoroquinolone (26.2%). Extensively drug resistant TB comprised 12.4% (n = 47) of the MDR-TB patients. Of 378 MDR-TB patients, 50.3% (n = 190) were eligible for the shorter MDR-TB regimen, and 50.0% (n = 189) were fully susceptible to the 5 drugs comprising the standard conventional regimen (PZA, kanamycin, ofloxoacin, prothionamide, and cycloserine). In conclusion, the proportion of new patients and the levels of additional drug resistance were high in MDR-TB patients. Considering the high levels of drug resistance, the shorter MDR-TB treatment regimen may not be feasible; instead, an individually tailored regimen based on the results of molecular and phenotypic DST may be more appropriate in MDR-TB patients in Korea.

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PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of magnetization transfer(MT) in contrast-enhanced brain MR imaging of the various intracranial diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively studied the effect of MT incontrast-enhanced brain MR imaging 101 patients with a variety of intracranial diseases. In all patients contrast-enhanced T1-weighted(TR/TE = 550/14) SE MR images with and without MT were obtained on a 1.5 Tsuper conducting unit(Magnetom, Siemens). The MT pulse used for MT images was an 8.1 msec(=250 Hz band width) syncpulse, 1000 Hz off-resonance. We randomly divided the patients into two groups : group I and group II. Group I consisted of 54 patients in whom contrast-enhanced images without MT and then images with MT were obtained just ofter the injection of Gd-DTPA(0.1 mmol/kg). In group II(47 patients), contrast-enhanced images with MT and then the images without MT were obtained, considering the delayed-enhancement effect. The effect of MT was assessed visually and quantitatively. For quantitative assessment, contrast to noise ratios(CNR) were calculated in 27 cases with enhancing intracranial tumors larger than 1 cm. We then compared CNRs of contrast-enhanced images with and without MT. The paired t-test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: On visual assessment, only11.9%(12/101) of normally enhancing structures and only 20.3%(14/69) of enhancing lesions showed improved enhancement in images with MT. There was however, no case in which the enhancing lesion was seen only in MR image with MT but not in that without MT. On quantitative analysis there was no statistically significant difference between overall images with MT and those without MT(p>0.05). The average CNR of images with MT was higher than that of images without MT in group I, but not in group II. CONCLUSION: MT in contrast-enhanced brain MR imaging resulted in contrast improvement in a limited number(less than approximately 20%) of patients. Routine application of MT images to contrast-enhanced brain MR imaging may be of limited value. Further studies on the clinical usefulness of MT technique with more refined MT pulse are thus needed.
Brain* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Noise ; Prospective Studies

PURPOSE: Curcumin (Cur) has been reported to induce apoptosis in human renal carcinoma Caki cells. Dimethoxycurcumin (DMC), one of several synthetic Cur analogues, has been reported to have increased metabolic stability over Cur. We determined whether DMC, like Cur, induces apoptosis in Caki cells and also compared the apoptosis-inducing activity of DMC with that of Cur. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Caki cells were treated with DMC possessing four methoxy groups, Cur possessing two methoxy groups, or bis-demethoxycurcumin (BMC), which lacks a methoxy group. Cell viability was measured by using a methyltetrazolium assay. Flow cytometry and the caspase-3 activity assay were used to detect apoptosis. The release of cytochrome-c (Cyt c) was detected by Western blot analysis. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS: DMC, Cur, and BMC reduced cell viability and induced apoptosis, but the potency varied; DMC was the most potent compound, followed by Cur and BMC. ROS production, Cyt c release, and caspase-3 activity were increased, again in the order DMC>Cur>BMC. N-Acetylcysteine, a potent antioxidant, inhibited ROS production, Cyt c release, caspase-3 activation, and apoptosis induction in DMC-treated cells. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that DMC, like the original form of Cur, may induce apoptosis in human renal carcinoma Caki cells through the production of ROS, the release of mitochondrial Cyt c, and the subsequent activation of caspase-3. In addition, DMC is more potent than Cur in the ability to induce apoptosis.
Acetylcysteine ; Antineoplastic Agents ; Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Survival ; Chlorobenzenes ; Curcumin ; Cytochromes ; Cytochromes c ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Reactive Oxygen Species

BACKGROUND: Three cell separators are being used and they collect platelets with different centrifuge speed and duration. Because centrifugation may cause platelet activation, the differences of centrifuge speed and duration are important in controlling the quality of apheresis platelet products. We compared many parameters of activation of platelets collected by Spectra (Cobe BCT, Lakewood, CO, USA), CS3000plus (Baxter Healthcare, Fenwal Division, Round Lake, IL, USA) and Mobile Collection SystemTM (MCS, Haemonetics co., Braintree, MA, USA). METHODS: Platelets were collected from ninety-five normal donors with Spectra (n=39), CS3000plus (n=19) and MCS (n=37). We underwent the procedure according to the automatic program set. We measured platelet yield and assayed pH, hypotonic shock respose (HSR), CD62 (p-selectin, GMP140) expression and beta-thromboglobulin in each stored unit on day 0 and day 3 for evaluation of the storage lesions. RESULTS: Platelet yield per product was 3.7 +/- 1.2 x 1011, mean final product volume was 316 +/- 69 mL and mean procession time was 100 +/- 19 minutes. Mean collection efficiency was 42.5 +/- 8.3%. The cell separator volume of product collected by CS3000plus was the smallest while platelet concentration and total yield were the highest in the product collected by Spectra. The pH of the products were 7.1 +/- 0.1 on day 0 and 6.7 +/- 0.4 on day 3. Hypotonic shock response was 69 +/- 13 % on day 0 and 28 +/- 17 % on day 3. P-selectin expression was 19 +/- 9 % (4.2 +/- 1.9 relative fluorescence intensity, RFI) on day 0 and 60 +/- 22 % (17.9 +/- 14.2) on day 3. beta-thromboglobulin was 28.5 +/- 7.0 IU/107 platelets on day 0 and 31.3 +/- 7.2 IU/107 platelts on day 3. The comparison of the three cell separators showed that on day 0 platelet product of MCS has lower pH and higher beta-thromboglobulin release than others (p<0.05). And on day 3 platelet product of MDS has better hypotonic shock response than others (p<0.05). Other parameters revealed no differences among three cell separators. The expression of p-selectin was shown to correlate highly with pH reduction (r=0.72), but not with the release of beta-TG (r=0.24). CONCLUSIONS: Most parameters showed no differences among three cell separators, but apheresis platelet concentrates processed by MCS showed lower pH on day 0 and higher beta-thromboglobulin concentration on day 0 and day 3 than apheresis platelet concentrates processed by Spectra or CS3000plus and hypotonic shock response on day 3 was the lowest in CS3000plus. So platelet activation produced during apheresis processing was lowest in apheresis platelet concentrates with Spectra.
beta-Thromboglobulin ; Blood Component Removal* ; Blood Platelets* ; Centrifugation ; Delivery of Health Care ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Lakes ; Osmotic Pressure ; P-Selectin ; Platelet Activation* ; Tissue Donors