No abstract available.
Ovarian Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common bacterial infection in children and Escherichia coli is a predominant pathogen. The purpose of this study is to evaluate phylogenetic groups and virulence factors of E. coli causing UTI in children in Korea. METHODS: From October 2010 to April 2013, urinary E. coli strains were isolated from the 33 pediatric patients of UTI. Multiplex polymerase chain reactions were performed to evaluate the phylogenetic groups and 5 virulence factor genes (fimH, sfa, papA, hylA, and cnf1) of E. coli. Distribution of molecular characteristics of E. coli was analyzed by clinical diagnosis and accompanying vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). RESULTS: Most (84.8%) uropathogenic E. coli were belonged to phylogenetics group B2 and the others (15.2%) were belonged to group D. The virulence factors were distributed as: fimH (100%), sfa (100%), hylA (63.6%), cnfI (63.6%), and papA (36.4%). According to clinical diagnosis, phylogenetic distribution of E. coli strain was 92.3% of B2 and 7.7% of D in acute pyelonephritis and 57.1% of B2 and 42.9% of D in cystitis. Distribution of virulence factors was similar in both groups. In patients with acute pyelonephritis, phylogenetic distribution was similar in VUR and non-VUR group, but proportion of papA genes were lower in VUR group than that of non-VUR group (43.8% vs. 20.0%, P=0.399). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides current epidemiologic molecular data of E. coli causing pediatric UTI in Korea and will be a fundamental for understanding the pathogenesis of pediatric UTI.
Bacterial Infections ; Child* ; Cystitis ; Diagnosis ; Escherichia coli* ; Escherichia* ; Humans ; Korea ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pyelonephritis ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract* ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux ; Virulence Factors* ; Virulence*

PURPOSE: Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is a new surgical option using endoscopic advancement to the peritoneal cavity through the stomach, colon, vagina, or urinary bladder without an abdominal wall scar (incision). The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of transgastric gastroscopic intra-abdominal exploration with gastric incision and closure before the NOTES would be done. METHODS: Under general anesthesia of a female dog, one-channel gastroscope was advanced to the stomach and the lumen was irrigated with anti-bacterial solution. The anterior wall of the antrum was incised by about 1 cm with a needle knife; then, the gastroscope was advanced into the peritoneal cavity. An exploration of the entire intra-abdominal cavity was performed. RESULTS: We were able to evaluate the stomach, the greater omentum, the diaphragm, the peritoneum, the urinary bladder, the bowel, the spleen, the liver, the gallbladder, the uterine horn, the uterine body, and the vagina, but could not evaluate the ovary, the kidney, and the pancreas. The observation of the abdominal cavity was followed by the gastric wall closure with a 135o endoclip. The dog was recovered after confirmation of secure closure of the incision site. CONCLUSIONS: Transgastric incision, closure, and abdominal exploration are feasible without an abdominal wall scar, and the NOTES can be one option for future abdominal operations in humans and needs to be further investigated.
Abdominal Cavity ; Abdominal Wall ; Anesthesia, General ; Animals ; Cicatrix ; Colon ; Diaphragm ; Dogs* ; Female* ; Gallbladder ; Gastroscopes ; Horns ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Natural Orifice Endoscopic Surgery ; Needles ; Omentum ; Ovary ; Pancreas ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Peritoneum ; Spleen ; Stomach ; Urinary Bladder ; Vagina

The effects of embryo number and incubation volume on the development of mouse embryos were evaluated. The growth rate of two-cell mouse embryos to attached blastocyst stage and the growth rate of blastocysts to early somite stage were assessed after culture in different incubation volumes and embryo densities. Embryos were collected from ICR female mice superovulated with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin and human chorionic gonadotropin and mated by ICR males. In experiment 1, groups of one, five, ten, twenty 2-cell embryos were cultured in 10-, 50-, 500-, 1000-microliter drops of BWW media under mineral oil at 37 degrees C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2 and 95% air. As the incubation volume decreased, significantly (p<0.05) higher rates of embryos reached morular and blastocyst stage on day 3 and 4 culture, respectively In experiment 2, groups of one, five, ten, twenty blastocysts were cultured in 1- and 2-ml volumes of CMRL 1066 media under same condition as in experiment 1. However the reverse was the result. Decreasing the number of embryos incubated per volume from 1 to 20 significantly (p<0.05) increased the number of blastocysts reaching the late egg cylinde. (LEC) and early somite (ES) stage on day 6 and 8 culture, respectively, regardless of incubation volume. Blastocysts cultured in 2ml had higher (p<0.05) development rates to LEC and ES stage on day 6 and 8 culture, respectively, than embryos cultured in 1ml. Our results suggest that the effects of embryo number and incubation volume on the development of mouse embryos are stage specific and the shifting point was between hatching and EEC stage.
Animals ; Atmosphere ; Blastocyst ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; Embryonic Structures* ; European Union ; Female ; Gonadotropins ; Humans ; Male ; Mice* ; Mineral Oil ; Ovum ; Somites

Splenic metastasis resulting from solid tumors is a rare event, and it is most often diagnosed at the time of autopsy. In those cases of widely disseminated cancer, splenic involvement may be fairly common, but solitary splenic metastasis in the absence of other metastases is exceedingly rare. The reported primary malignancies of patients with splenic metastases include lung, colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, thyroid, pancreatic, gastric cancers and most commonly, melanoma. The author report here on a case of 55- year-old male who was found to have a solitary splenic metastasis 12 months after undergoing a left upper lobectomy for stage Ib (pT2N0M0) adenocarcinoma of the lung and he was then treated by splenectomy.
Adenocarcinoma ; Autopsy ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Male ; Melanoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Splenectomy ; Splenic Neoplasms ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Thyroid Gland

No abstract available.
Seizures* ; Sick Sinus Syndrome* ; Syncope

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is characterized by emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and small airway remodeling. The alveolar destruction associated with emphysema cannot be repaired by current clinical practices. Stem cell therapy has been successfully used in animal models of cigarette smoke- and elastase-induced emphysema. However, the optimal dose of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for the most effective therapy has not yet been determined. It is vital to determine the optimal dose of MSCs for clinical application in emphysema cases. METHODS: In the present study, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of various doses of MSCs on elastase-induced emphysema in mice. When 3 different doses of MSCs were intravenously injected into mice treated with elastase, only 5x10(4) MSCs showed a significant effect on the emphysematous mouse lung. We also identified action mechanisms of MSCs based on apoptosis, lung regeneration, and protease/antiprotease imbalance. RESULTS: The MSCs were not related with caspase-3/7 dependent apoptosis. But activity of matrix metalloproteinase 9 increased by emphysematous lung was decreased by intravenously injected MSCs. Vascular endothelial growth factor were also increased in lung from MSC injected mice, as compared to un-injected mice. CONCLUSION: This is the first study on the optimal dose of MSCs as a therapeutic candidate. This data may provide important basic data for determining dosage in clinical application of MSCs in emphysema patients.
Airway Remodeling ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Bronchitis, Chronic ; Emphysema ; Humans ; Lung ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Methods ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Pancreatic Elastase* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Regeneration ; Stem Cells ; Tobacco Products ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from bone marrow or adipose tissue can successfully repair emphysematous animal lungs, which is a characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Here, we describe the cellular distribution of MSCs that were intravenously injected into mice with elastase-induced emphysema. The distributions were also compared to the distributions in control mice without emphysema. METHODS: We used fluorescence optical imaging with quantum dots (QDs) to track intravenously injected MSCs. In addition, we used a human Alu sequence-based real-time polymerase chain reaction method to assess the lungs, liver, kidney, and spleen in mice with elastase-induced emphysema and control mice at 1, 4, 24, 72, and 168 hours after MSCs injection. RESULTS: The injected MSCs were detected with QD fluorescence at 1- and 4-hour postinjection, and the human Alu sequence was detected at 1-, 4- and 24-hour postinjection in control mice (lungs only). Injected MSCs remained more in mice with elastase-induced emphysema at 1, 4, and 24 hours after MSCs injection than the control lungs without emphysema. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our results show that injected MSCs were observed at 1 and 4 hours post injection and more MSCs remain in lungs with emphysema.
Adipose Tissue ; Animals ; Bone Marrow ; Cell Tracking ; Emphysema* ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Mice ; Optical Imaging ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Quantum Dots ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Spleen

Developmental foregut cysts, whether bronchogenic, esophageal, gastroenteric or pericardial, are frequently encountered in the mediastinum, and are also occasionally found in the upper abdomen, where they can mimic adrenal, pancreatic, renal or gastric masses. We present the computed tomographic (CT) and histologic findings of an intramuscular bronchogenic cyst of the gastric body, mimicking a retroperitoneal cystic mass. CT scanning demonstrated the presence of a relatively hyperattenuating cystic mass without enhancement. Histologic examination revealed a bronchogenic cyst secreting mucoid materials.
Abdomen ; Bronchogenic Cyst* ; Mediastinum ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Cell therapy using stem cells has produced therapeutic benefits in animal models of COPD. Secretory mediators are proposed as one mechanism for stem cell effects because very few stem cells engraft after injection into recipient animals. Recently, nanovesicles that overcome the disadvantages of natural exosomes have been generated artificially from cells. We generated artificial nanovesicles from adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) using sequential penetration through polycarbonate membranes. ASC-derived artificial nanovesicles displayed a 100 nm-sized spherical shape similar to ASC-derived natural exosomes and expressed both exosomal and stem cell markers. The proliferation rate of lung epithelial cells was increased in cells treated with ASC-derived artificial nanovesicles compared with cells treated with ASC-derived natural exosomes. The lower dose of ASC-derived artificial nanovesicles had similar regenerative capacity compared with a higher dose of ASCs and ASC-derived natural exosomes. In addition, FGF2 levels in the lungs of mice treated with ASC-derived artificial nanovesicles were increased. The uptake of ASC-derived artificial nanovesicles was inhibited by heparin, which is a competitive inhibitor of heparan sulfate proteoglycan that is associated with FGF2 signaling. Taken together, the data indicate that lower doses of ASC-derived artificial nanovesicles may have beneficial effects similar to higher doses of ASCs or ASC-derived natural exosomes in an animal model with emphysema, suggesting that artificial nanovesicles may have economic advantages that warrant future clinical studies.
Animals ; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy ; Emphysema* ; Epithelial Cells ; Exosomes ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans ; Heparin ; Lung ; Membranes ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Stem Cells