No abstract available.
Plasma Exchange* ; Plasma* ; Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic*

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to evaluate the clinical features of seizures in breastfed children with vitamin D deficient rickets. METHODS: Seventeen children, breastfed and diagnosed as vitamin D deficient rickets at Inha University Hospital from January 2000 to July 2010, were retrospectively investigated. Subjects were divided into two groups according to the presence/absence of seizures. Demographic and biochemical results were compared and statistically analyzed between the two groups, and the relative risk for seizure occurrence was estimated. Clinical features of seizures were also analyzed. RESULTS: Out of the 17 subjects, nine patients (53.0%) had seizures, while eight patients (47.0%) did not. The mean age for the two groups were 4.1+/-2.0 months and 9.3+/-2.7 months, respectively, which was statistically different between the two groups (P<0.0001). Serum calcium (Ca) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-OHD3) levels were significantly lower in the 'seizure' group (5.7+/-1.0 vs. 9.5+/-0.9 mg/dL, P<0.0001; 5.7+/-0.8 vs. 15.3+/-4.2 IU/L, P<0.0001). The relative risk for seizure occurrence was 8 times higher in hypocalcemia and 17 times higher in 25-OHD3<8 ng/mL. Seizures occurred several times as generalized or focal types, but none of them developed epilepsy nor showed developmental abnormalities later on. CONCLUSION: Seizures in breastfed children with vitamin D deficiency rickets are mainly due to hypocalcemia, which is affected by 25-OHD3 levels. Seizures may also occur more frequently in children in the stages of rapid growth. Although seizures occurred multiple times, future outcomes were favorable. Further large-scaled prospective studies are required in the future.
Breast Feeding ; Calcifediol ; Calcium ; Child ; Epilepsy ; Humans ; Hypocalcemia ; Retrospective Studies ; Rickets ; Seizures ; Vitamin D ; Vitamin D Deficiency

Toothpicks are not uncommonly swallowed, and subsequently, may be impacted into gastrointestinal wall and cause morbidities, and even mortality. Therefore, the early diagnosis and immediate retrieval of an ingested toothpick is important. In many cases, endoscopic removal is attempted initially, but if this fails or a complication is encountered, surgery should be considered. The authors experienced a case of ingested toothpick penetrating the gastric wall. A 51-year-old woman visited our hospital with epigastric pain of one-week duration. Upper endoscopy revealed that the sharp end of a toothpick had been impacted into the distal antrum. Endoscopic removal using an alligator jaw forceps failed because the toothpick broke during removal and our continued attempts to extract the remnant resulted in it becoming more embedded in the stomach wall. In such circumstances, surgical treatment should be considered. However, we incised the mucosa to expose the remnant toothpick, and fortunately, we were then able to grasp and remove the toothpick using an alligator jaw forceps. We report this unusual case of a toothpick impacted in the gastric wall that was resolved endoscopically by mucosal incision.
Alligators and Crocodiles ; Early Diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Jaw ; Middle Aged ; Mucous Membrane ; Stomach ; Surgical Instruments

Toothpicks are not uncommonly swallowed, and subsequently, may be impacted into gastrointestinal wall and cause morbidities, and even mortality. Therefore, the early diagnosis and immediate retrieval of an ingested toothpick is important. In many cases, endoscopic removal is attempted initially, but if this fails or a complication is encountered, surgery should be considered. The authors experienced a case of ingested toothpick penetrating the gastric wall. A 51-year-old woman visited our hospital with epigastric pain of one-week duration. Upper endoscopy revealed that the sharp end of a toothpick had been impacted into the distal antrum. Endoscopic removal using an alligator jaw forceps failed because the toothpick broke during removal and our continued attempts to extract the remnant resulted in it becoming more embedded in the stomach wall. In such circumstances, surgical treatment should be considered. However, we incised the mucosa to expose the remnant toothpick, and fortunately, we were then able to grasp and remove the toothpick using an alligator jaw forceps. We report this unusual case of a toothpick impacted in the gastric wall that was resolved endoscopically by mucosal incision.
Alligators and Crocodiles ; Early Diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Jaw ; Middle Aged ; Mucous Membrane ; Stomach ; Surgical Instruments

No abstract available.
Adenosine Deaminase* ; Adenosine* ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid* ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage* ; Humans ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

Pseudopolycythemia is a situation in which a raised concentration of hemoglobin in circulating blood, with a red cell mass within normal range, while the plasma volume may be reduced in the absence of overt fluid loss. Relative, apparent, stress, or spurious polycythemia are commonly used synonyms for the same condition. It has been emphasized the association of pseudopolycythemia with hypertension, obesity, stress, and heavy cigarette smoking, especially in middle-aged men. We experienced 3 cases of pseudopolycythemia with several risk factors. They had complained of mild exertional dyspnea, palpitation, dizziness, and paresthesia of extremities. These symptoms were successfully relieved by stress reduction, stopping of smoking, and abstaining from drinking.
Dizziness ; Drinking ; Dyspnea ; Erythrocyte Volume ; Erythropoietin ; Extremities ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Obesity ; Paresthesia ; Plasma Volume ; Polycythemia ; Reference Values ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of wax gourd on weight, triglyceride, leptin and fat cell size in rats fed a high-fat diet. Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed an experimental diet containing total dietary fat at 40% of calories with wax gourd 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% (w/w) for 4 weeks. Weight gain and triglyceride level fell significantly in the 15% wax gourd group compared to the control group. Epididymal fat pad, abdominal fat and perirenal fat tended to decrease in the 15% wax gourd group. Leptin and free fatty acid level were not significantly different among the groups. Fat cell size significantly decreased in the 10% and 15% wax gourd groups compared to the control group. Weight gain correlated positively with visceral fat masses and the levels of leptin and triglyceride. Fat cell size significantly correlated with visceral fat and leptin level. Therefore, the 15% wax gourd diet substantially reduced weight, triglyceride and fat cell size.
Abdominal Fat ; Adipocytes* ; Adipose Tissue ; Animals ; Diet ; Diet, High-Fat* ; Dietary Fats ; Humans ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Leptin* ; Male ; Obesity ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Triglycerides* ; Weight Gain

OBJECTIVES: Infection and replication of the hepatitis B virus are closely related to the host immunity. Anticancer chemotherapy decreases the immune response of the host, Especially, glucocorticoid can activate the replication of hepatitis B virus directly. It is well known that hepatitis B virus infection and hepatic complications are more common in patients with hematologic malignancies like malignant lymphoma. We studied the incidence of hepatitis B virus infection and hepatic complications following anti-cancer chemotherapy in patients with malignant lymphoma. METHODS: Among 224 cases diagnosed as malignant lymphoma from January 1989 to December 1993 at Yonsei University Medical Center, 77 cases tested for hepatitis B virus serology was studied. RESULTS: 1) Eighteen cases (23%) was HBsAg positive. 2) The results of hepatitis C virus serology in six cases were all negative. 3) Eight (57%) of 14 follow-up cases had hepatic complications, Two patients had fulminant hepatitis, two nonicteric hepatitis and four icteric hepatitis. 4) Interferon-alpha was administered in three cases among the patients with hepatic complications. Loss of HBeAg was observed in one case and loss of HBsAg in another case. CONCLUSION: Serious hepatic complications can be occurred following anticancer chemotherapy in HBsAg-positive patients with malignant lymphoma. Therefore, we recommend that patients being considered as candidates for anticancer chemotherapy should routinely undergo serologic test for Hepatitis B virus. In addition HBsAg-positive patients with anticancer chemotherapy should be regularly monitored for hepatic injury. And with the careful use of steroid and interferon, prolongation of survival might be searched for these patients.
Academic Medical Centers ; Drug Therapy* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens* ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Incidence ; Interferon-alpha ; Interferons ; Lymphoma* ; Serologic Tests

Deoxyhypusine synthase catalyzes the first step in the posttranslational synthesis of an unusual amino acid, hypusine, in the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A) precursor protein. We earlier observed that yeast recombinant deoxyhypusine synthase was phosphorylated by protein kinase C (PKC) in vitro (Kang and Chung, 1999) and the phosphorylation rate was synergistically increased to a 3.5-fold following treatment with phosphatidylserine (P.Ser)/diacylglycerol (DAG)/ Ca2+, suggesting a possible involvement of PKC. We have extended study on the phosphorylation of deoxyhypusine synthase in vivo in different cell lines in order to define its role on the regulation of eIF5A in the cell. Deoxyhypusine synthase was found to be phosphorylated by endogenous kinases in CHO, NIH3T3, and chicken embryonic cells. The highest degree of phosphorylation was found in CHO cells. Moreover, phosphorylation of deoxyhypusine synthase in intact CHO cells was revealed and the expression of phosphorylated deoxyhypusine synthase was significantly diminished by diacyl ethylene glycol (DAEG), a PKC inhibitor, and enhanced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or Ca2+/DAG. Endogenous PKC in CHO cell and cell lysate was able to phosphorylate deoxyhypusine synthase and this modification is enhanced by PMA or Ca2+ plus DAG. Close association of PKC with deoxyhypusine synthase in the CHO cells was evident in the immune coprecipitation and was PMA-, and Ca2+/phospholipiddependent. These results suggest that phosphorylation of deoxyhypusine synthase was PKC-dependent cellular event and open a path for possible regulation in the interaction with eIF5A precursor for hypusine synthesis.
Amine Oxidoreductases/*metabolism ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Chick Embryo ; Female ; Hamsters ; Mice ; Phosphorylation ; Protein Binding ; Protein Kinase C/antagonists & inhibitors/*metabolism

Tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) leads to residual pleural opacity (RPO) in a significant proportion of cases. The aim of this study was to investigate which TPE patients would have RPO following the treatment. This study was performed prospectively for a total of 60 TPE patients, who underwent pleural fluid analysis on the initial visit and chest radiographs and computed tomography (CT) scans before and after the administration of antituberculous medication. At the end of antituberculous medication, the incidence of RPO was 68.3% (41/60) on CT with a range of 2-50 mm. Compared with the non-RPO group, the RPO group had a longer symptom duration and lower pleural fluid glucose level. On initial CT, loculation, extrapleural fat proliferation, increased attenuation of extrapleural fat, and pleura-adjacent atelectasis were more frequent, and parietal pleura was thicker in the RPO group compared with the non-RPO group. By multivariate analysis, extrapleural fat proliferation, loculated effusion, and symptom duration were found to be predictors of RPO in TPE. In conclusion, RPO in TPE may be predicted by the clinico-radiologic parameters related to the chronicity of the effusion, such as symptom duration and extrapleural fat proliferation and loculated effusion on CT.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Pleura/*pathology ; Pleural Effusion/*complications/radiography ; Prospective Studies ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis, Pleural/*complications/radiography