No abstract available.
Colonic Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Hydromorphone* ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1*

BACKGROUND: Data on the natural history and prognostic variables of chronic urticaria (CU) are rare and information about spontaneous remission of CU is limited. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the natural history of CU and identified predictors for remission. METHODS: Total 329 Korean patients with CU, who had follow-ups more than 6 months after diagnosis during a 7-year period in the department of dermatology in three university hospitals were enrolled. Clinical data and laboratory findings obtained by medical records and telephone interviews were analyzed, retrospectively. RESULTS: The proportion recovered in 1, 3, and 5 years after the onset of CU was 10.8%, 18.8%, and 32.9%, respectively. The mean duration of CU was 6.3 years. There were no significant differences in median recovery time depending on sex, age group, severity of CU, and type of CU. The presence of angioedema was significantly related to CU severity. There were no differences in prognosis with respect to the presence of dermographism or angioedema. Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) had a significantly worse prognosis than patients without a history of AD; but not in patients with the history of allergic rhinitis or asthma. Patients with abnormal laboratory findings did not differ significantly in prognosis. CONCLUSION CU remission rate significantly differ according to the presence of AD. This study provides information about the natural course of CU of Korean patients.

Background: Regeneration of soft tissue defects is essential for adipose tissue pathologies and disease, trauma, or injury-induced damage. Here, we show that umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells could potentially be tailored and used for the reconstruction of specific damaged sites. Adipogenesis can be exploited in soft tissue reconstruction. Also, primary cilia play a role in the control of adipogenesis. Methods: The adipogenic differentiation capacity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) was shown to influence ciliogenesis. MSCs transfected with intraflagellar transport 88 (IFT88) small interfering RNA (siRNA), which blocks the assembly and maintenance of cilia, were examined to confirm the relationship between adipogenesis and ciliogenesis. Also, 1,2-Bis(2-aminophenoxy) ethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid tetrakis(acetoxymethyl ester) (BAPTA-AM), calcium chelator, inhibited the ciliogenesis of MSCs in adipogenic differentiation. Results: IFT88-knockdown led to decreased cilia formation and limitation of cilia elongation in adipogenesis. Additionally, intracellular calcium triggered cilia formation in MSCs adipogenesis. Interestingly, intracellular calcium cannot overcome the inhibition of adipogenesis caused by low numbers of cilia in MSCs. Conclusion Our data suggested that ciliogenesis was negatively regulated by Wnt5a/β-catenin signaling during adipogenesis. Thus, we suggest that calcium induction triggers adipogenesis and ciliogenesis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The changes in an Electrogastrography (EGG) in uremic patients on maintenance hemodialysis with dyspeptic complaints are not well known. The aim of this study was to investigate the EGG findings in uremic patients with dyspeptic complaints and note the difference of EGG findings between uremic patients with dyspeptic complaints and patients with functional dyspepsia. METHODS: Fifty two subjects were enrolled. They were assigned to: group I, healthy volunteers without dyspeptic complaints (n=15); group II, patients with dysmotility-like dyspepsia (n=22); or group III, uremic patients undergoing hemodialysis with dysmotility-like dyspepsia (n=15). The data was compared among groups. RESULTS: There was no difference in the percentage of normal slow wave frequency, and fed to fasting power ratio among the groups. However, frequencies of abnormal EGG findings were 4 (27%) in group I, 10 (40%) group II and 9 (60%) in group III. Therefore the frequency was marginally different among group I, group II or group III (p=0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Impaired gastric myoelectric activity was more frequently observed in uremic patients or patients with dysmotility-like dyspepsia than normal controls. However frequencies of abnormal EGG findings between uremic patients and patients with dysmotility-like dyspepsia were not significantly different.
Dyspepsia* ; Fasting ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Ovum ; Renal Dialysis*

Morganella morganii is a facultative gram-negative and anaerobic rod. It may be a cause of devastating infections in neonates and immunocompromised hosts. Some bacterial infections such as Clostridium and Vibrio are associated with hemolysis. However, massive hemolysis caused by M. morganii sepsis has not yet been reported. We observed a 59-yr-old man who had chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and was found to have massive hemolysis and metabolic acidosis due to sepsis. He died 6 hr after admission in spite of aggressive treatment. Two sets of blood cultures revealed the growth of M. morganii. We report here that M. morganii sepsis can cause fatal massive hemolysis leading to death.
Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects ; Bacteremia/*complications ; Enterobacteriaceae Infections/*complications ; *Hemolysis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Morganella morganii ; Neutropenia/complications

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding can be caused by various etiologies including hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, neoplasms, and ulcerative colitis. However, a rectal ulcer is rarely caused by lower gastrointestinal bleeding, and an anorectal foreign body is a very rare cause of a rectal ulcer. We report the case of a 48-year-old male patient who presented to the emergency department with massive hematochezia and hypovolemic shock that occurred 5 days after inserting garlic into the rectum for treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia.
Colitis, Ulcerative ; Diverticulitis ; Emergencies ; Foreign Bodies ; Garlic ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhoids ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostate ; Rectum ; Shock ; Ulcer

We report four cases of Ganoderma lucidum-induced aplastic anemia involving members of the same family. A 33-year-old man and three family members were admitted to the hospital due to fever and pancytopenia. The illness arose after ingesting herbal wine containing G. lucidum 2 weeks earlier. A bone-marrow biopsy showed hypocellularity in three of the four family members (the exception was the one who died). They were treated with supportive management, including transfusions, granulocyte colony stimulating factor, and empirical antibiotics for neutropenic fever. The pancytopenia improved 4-5 weeks after the symptoms first appeared.
Adult ; Anemia, Aplastic* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy ; Colony-Stimulating Factors ; Fever ; Ganoderma ; Granulocytes ; Humans ; Pancytopenia ; Plants, Medicinal ; Reishi* ; Wine

OBJECTIVES: Trichostatin A (TSA), an inhibitor of histone deacetylase, has been shown to play an important role in attenuating asthmatic inflammation. However, the effect of TSA in allergic rhinitis is not known. The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of TSA on allergic nasal inflammation and on the induction of regulatory T cells in a murine model of allergic rhinitis. METHODS: BALB/c mice were sensitized intraperitoneally with ovalbumin (OVA) and then challenged intranasally with OVA. TSA (1 mg/kg) was given to the treatment group, and multiple parameters of allergic responses were evaluated to determine the effects of TSA on allergic rhinitis. Allergic nasal symptom scores, including frequency of rubbing and sneezing, were checked. Eosinophil infiltrations were stained with Chromotrope 2R, and the expression levels of OVA-specific IgE, T-helper 1 (Th1) cytokine (interferon-gamma [IFN-gamma]), Th2 cytokines (interleukin [IL] 4 and IL-5) and Treg (Foxp3, IL-10, and transforming growth factor-beta [TGF-beta]) were measured by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: TSA reduced the scores of allergic nasal symptoms and the amount of eosinophil infiltration into the nasal mucosa. TSA suppressed OVA-specific IgE levels and reduced expression of the IL-4 and IL-5. However, the expression of IFN-gamma was unchanged in the treatment group. The levels of Foxp3, IL-10, and TGF-beta were increased in pretreatment with TSA as compared to control group. CONCLUSION: This study shows that TSA induced antiallergic effects by decreasing eosinophilic infiltration and Th2 cytokines in a murine model of allergic rhinitis via regulation of Tregs. Thus, TSA may be considered a potentially therapeutic agent in treating allergic rhinitis.
Animals ; Cytokines ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Eosinophils ; Histone Deacetylases ; Immunoglobulin E ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-4 ; Interleukin-5 ; Mice ; Nasal Mucosa ; Ovalbumin ; Ovum ; Rhinitis* ; Sneezing ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; Transforming Growth Factor beta

beta-Glucosidase, which hydrolyzes cellobiose into two glucoses, plays an important role in the process of saccharification of the lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, we optimized the activity of beta-glucosidase of brown-rot fungus Fomitopsis pinicola KCTC 6208 using the response surface methodology (RSM) with various concentrations of glucose, yeast extract and ascorbic acid, which are the most significant nutrients for activity of beta-glucosidase. The highest activity of beta-glucosidase was achieved 3.02% of glucose, 4.35% of yeast extract, and 7.41% ascorbic acid where ascorbic acid was most effective. The maximum activity of beta-glucosidase predicted by the RSM was 15.34 U/mg, which was similar to the experimental value 14.90 U/mg at the 16th day of incubation. This optimized activity of beta-glucosidase was 23.6 times higher than the preliminary activity value, 0.63 U/mg, and was also much higher than previous values reported in other fungi strains. Therefore, a simplified medium supplemented with a cheap vitamin source, such as ascorbic acid, could be a cost effective mean of increasing beta-glucosidase activity.
Ascorbic Acid ; beta-Glucosidase* ; Biomass ; Cellobiose ; Coriolaceae* ; Fungi* ; Glucose ; Vitamins ; Yeasts

Background: The purpose of this study was to measure several mental health variables according to HbA1c level and examine their relationship among diabetic patients. Methods: Total 89 outpatients who attended diabetes education program at St. Vincent’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, were enrolled this study. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Stress Response Inventory (SRI), abbreviated version of World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment instrument (WHOQOL-BREF), Insomnia Severity Index, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) were administered to all patients. Significant differences between groups were assessed by t-test and chi-squared test. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were used to identify the variables that affect HbA1c levels. Results: The well-controlled group had a significantly lower BDI score than the poorly controlled group. The wellcontrolled group also showed significantly lower SRI and ESS. HbA1c, BDI, SRI, and ESS were positively correlated. Duration and BDI were the only variables affecting HbA1c levels. Conclusion Emphasis should be given to the identification and management of mental health problems, including especially depressive symptoms in patients with diabetes.