Annexin-1 (ANX1) is a 37 kDa protein that is induced and secreted by glucocorticosteroid hormone. The secreted ANX1 has been believed to exert its function by binding to its putative rnembrane receptor. In this report we demonstrate that ANXl receptor (ANX1R) signal blocks the interleukin-1B (IL-1B) receptor signal pathway in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). When PBMCs were treated with both IL-1B (100 ng/ml) and PMA (10 ng/ml) in the absence or presence of dexamethasone for 5 days, dexamethasone (100 nM) suppressed lymphocyte proliferation to 24% of the control. However addition of anti-ANX1 polyclonal antibody of 1:200 and 1:1,000 dilution to this system induced recovery of proliferation to 80% and 40%, respectively, when compared to the control. In the mixed lymphocyte reaction, dexamethasone suppressed lymphocyte proliferation to 9% of that of control when stimulated with IL-1B (100 ng/ml) and phorbol myristate acetate (10 ng/ml). Addition of anti-ANX1 polyclonal antibody (1:1,000) to this system also recovered the proliferation to 20% of that of the control system. In the ANX1 receptor induction experiment using flow cytometry, ANX1 receptor expression on lymphocytes, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells and monocytes increased depending on the externally added IL-1B ranging from 10 to 1,000 ng/ml. From these results, it is evident that dexamethasone induces ANX1 secretion into the culture medium and anti-ANX1 polyclonal antibody abolishes the effects of dexamethasone. Furthermore these results imply that extracellular ANX1 exerts its effects by binding to the receptor on the cell membrane and the activated signal(s) of ANX1R block IL-1B receptor signal in the lymphocytes.
Cell Membrane ; Dexamethasone ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Interleukin-1* ; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed ; Lymphocytes* ; Monocytes ; Signal Transduction ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate*

Spinal disc surgery has been the most common cause of iatrogenic disc infection, resulting in pyogenic spondylitis. The diagnosis is usually difficult because of the infrequency of occurrence of pyogenic spondylitis. If three or more vertebrae are involved, the diagnosis of osteomyelitis is unlikely to be correct. Especially involvement of multiple non-contiguous vertebrae indicates metastatic tumor. Therefore, we report a rare case of latent multiple non-contiguous pyogenic spondylitis following spinal surgery. The actual cause of infection in this case is unknown. CT guide biopsy may be needed to rule-out tuberculosis spondylitis and metastatic tumor in such case of multiple spinal involvement. In conclusion, the possibility of latent spinal infection must be considered even though surgery had been done several years ago.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Osteomyelitis ; Spine ; Spondylitis* ; Tuberculosis

PURPOSE: We report a distinctive lesion in the articular cartilage of the talar dome in anterior bony impingement syndrome of the joint. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Arthroscopic debridement was done in 68 ankles under the diagnosis of anterior impingement syndrome of the ankle joint between October 1994 and June 1996. There were 6 tram track lesions of talar dome of the 68 ankles. We evaluated arthroscopic findings of tramtrack lesion, injury mechanism, and treatment results according to the criteria of Ogilvie-Harris DJ et al. RESULTS: All six male patients were professional or collegiate soccer players. Average age was 29 years (26 to 34). All 6 cases were dorminant ankles. Trauma history was not definite in all 6 cases. All 6 patients were anterior impingement syndrome of the ankle and treated by arthroscopic removal of osteophytes. The cartilage lesions were full thickness defects, located in the anterior half of the medial aspect of the talar dome and were longitudinal with variable widths resembling a tram track, thus named ""tram track lesion"". Tram track lesion and osteophytes were contacted by ankle dorsiflexion. Overall, good and excellent results were achieved in five patients at a mean follow up of twenty-seven months. Two cases had recurrences of osteophytes. CONCLUSIONS: Tram track lesion of talar dome occurred by repeated scratching of the osteophyte of distal tibia and treated effectively by arthroscopic removal of osteophyte and debridement.
Ankle ; Ankle Joint ; Arthroscopy ; Cartilage ; Cartilage, Articular ; Debridement ; Diagnosis ; Diphenhydramine ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Joints ; Male ; Osteophyte ; Recurrence ; Soccer ; Tibia

Fracture of the vertebral end plate in the lumbar and sacral spine has been reported as a rare lesion. Especially it is very rare that fractures are found at two levels simultaneously. To our knowledge, there has been only one reported case of this type of fracture in Korea3). We report a case of fractures of the vertebral end plates at two levels in adolescent patient.
Adolescent ; Humans ; Spine

Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is a heterogeneous inborn error of propionate metabolism and its management frequently includes a low-protein diet to minimize precursors of methylmalonic acid and reduce its concentration in body tissues. In the long- term follow-up, renal dysfunction in these patients has been increasingly recognized. Tubulointerstitial nephritis is the most frequent renal complications and has been reported in the small number of renal biopsy specimens from young children previously by others. We report a case of a 18-year-old girl with MMA and renal dysfunction in whom renal biopsy demonstrated chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis.
Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Child ; Diet, Protein-Restricted ; Diethylpropion ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Methylmalonic Acid ; Nephritis, Interstitial*

STUDY DESIGN: Authors experienced three cases of malignant schwannoma arising from multiple neurofibromatosis and invading the vertebrae. OBJECTIVE: To report treatment results and preventive idea in three cases of malignant schwannoma transformed from neurofibromatosis within the retroperifoneal area and invading the vertebrae. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The patients with neurofibromatosis are clearly at increased risk to develop the malignant schwannoma. A review of Korean literature revealed no such cases. RESULTS: The first case presented in the L4 body and was treated by surgical excision and chemotherapy, but she expired due to secondary metastasis in six months after diagnosis. The second case was treated by diagnostic biopsy and chemotherapy with adriamycin, ifosfamide, DTIC, mesna. He eventually lived for 14 months. After a diagnostic biopsy, the third case died due to lung metastasis before we could begin the treatment. CONCLUSION: We recommend that neurofibromatsis patients be regularly followed-up and if necessary, CT examination of spine or abdomen should be done. If a malignant schwannoma is detected, then early treatment can be started.
Abdomen ; Biopsy ; Dacarbazine ; Diagnosis ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Ifosfamide ; Lung ; Mesna ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neurilemmoma* ; Neurofibromatoses ; Spine*

No abstract available.

Background: Chronic stress at work is known to be associated with the risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Recent studies have evaluated stressand its association with metabolic syndrome in specific occupational groups. In the present study, we examined the relationship between stress andthe risk of developing metabolic syndrome in each occupational group. Methods: The present study examined 7,460 Korean workers, aged 20–65 years, whose data were collected from the Korea National Health andNutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2014 and 2016. The information on usual stress awareness was self-reported, and thebiochemical profile of the blood was conducted. The chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to investigate therelationship between stress and metabolic syndrome in each occupational group. Results: The metabolic syndrome was prevalent in 26.3% of the study subjects. In the function-related job groups, the individuals with high stress levelsshowed a significantly higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome (odds ratio, 1.625; 95% confidence interval, 1.042–2.534) than those with lowstress levels. An increasing trend was observed, which suggested the increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome across increasing stress levelsin a stratified analysis in many occupational groups, specifically in function-related, viz., manager and expert, office worker, service worker, andsimple laborer (P for trend <0.001) groups. Conclusion The stress levels were significantly correlated with the risk of developing metabolic syndrome in function-related job groups. A differencebetween dose-response association of stress levels and metabolic syndrome existed in each occupational group.

Purpose: To identify the indication for recommending prebiopsy magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to prevent prostate cancer missed diagnoses in cases without prebiopsy MRI. Materials and Methods: Between January 2017 and September 2020, 585 patients suspected with prostate cancer underwent prostate biopsy after MRI. For patients with visible lesions, MRI-targeted biopsy using an image-based fusion program was performed in addition to the 12- core systematic biopsy. Patients for whom MRI was performed in other institutions (n=4) and patients who underwent target biopsy alone (n=7) were excluded. Results: Of 574 patients (median prostate-specific antigen [PSA] level, 6.88 ng/mL; mean age, 68.2 years), 342 (59.6%) were diagnosed with prostate cancer (visible lesions=312/449 [69.5%]; nonvisible lesions=30/123 [24.0%]). The detection rates of visible lesions stratified using the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score (3 vs. 4 vs. 5) were 30.9% (54 of 175), 61.2% (150 of 245), and 90.1% (127 of 141), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that PSA density was a significant factor for presence of visible lesions, prostate cancer, and significant prostate cancer diagnosis. Among patients with positive lesions, 27 (8.2%) were diagnosed with prostate cancer concomitant with negative systematic biopsy results. A PSA density of 0.15 ng/mL/cm3 was identified as the significant cutoff value for predicting positive target biopsy in groups with negative systematic biopsy. Sixty of the negative target lesions (26.1%) were diagnosed using systematic biopsy. Conclusions To maximize cancer detection rates, both targeted and systematic biopsies should be implemented. PSA density was identified as a useful factor for recommending prebiopsy MRI to patients suspected with prostate cancer.

Purpose: To identify the indication for recommending prebiopsy magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to prevent prostate cancer missed diagnoses in cases without prebiopsy MRI. Materials and Methods: Between January 2017 and September 2020, 585 patients suspected with prostate cancer underwent prostate biopsy after MRI. For patients with visible lesions, MRI-targeted biopsy using an image-based fusion program was performed in addition to the 12- core systematic biopsy. Patients for whom MRI was performed in other institutions (n=4) and patients who underwent target biopsy alone (n=7) were excluded. Results: Of 574 patients (median prostate-specific antigen [PSA] level, 6.88 ng/mL; mean age, 68.2 years), 342 (59.6%) were diagnosed with prostate cancer (visible lesions=312/449 [69.5%]; nonvisible lesions=30/123 [24.0%]). The detection rates of visible lesions stratified using the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score (3 vs. 4 vs. 5) were 30.9% (54 of 175), 61.2% (150 of 245), and 90.1% (127 of 141), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that PSA density was a significant factor for presence of visible lesions, prostate cancer, and significant prostate cancer diagnosis. Among patients with positive lesions, 27 (8.2%) were diagnosed with prostate cancer concomitant with negative systematic biopsy results. A PSA density of 0.15 ng/mL/cm3 was identified as the significant cutoff value for predicting positive target biopsy in groups with negative systematic biopsy. Sixty of the negative target lesions (26.1%) were diagnosed using systematic biopsy. Conclusions To maximize cancer detection rates, both targeted and systematic biopsies should be implemented. PSA density was identified as a useful factor for recommending prebiopsy MRI to patients suspected with prostate cancer.