BACKGROUND: Primary multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is defined as Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates that are resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampin in never-been-treated tuberculosis patients, and this malady is caused by the transmission of a resistant strain from one patient, who is infected with a resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain, to another patient. The prevalence of primary multidrug-resistant tuberculosis could be a good indicator of the performance of tuberculosis control programs in recent years. We conducted a case-control study to identify the risk factors for primary multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. METHODS: From January 1, 2001 to, June 30, 2003, by conducting prospective laboratory-based surveillance, we identified 29 hospitalized patients with P-MDRTB and these patients constituted a case group in this study. The controls were represented by all the patients with culture-confirmed drug susceptible tuberculosis who were admitted to National Masan Hospital during the same study period. The odds ratios for the patients with primary multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, as compared with those of the patients with drug susceptible tuberculosis, were calculated for each categorical variable with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression showed that the presence of diabetes mellitus (odds ratio 2.68; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-6.86) was independently associated with having primary multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. CONCLUSION: This study has shown that diabetes mellitus might be one of the risk factors for primary multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
Case-Control Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Drug Resistance ; Humans ; Isoniazid ; Logistic Models ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Rifampin ; Risk Factors* ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant

Objective To analyse long-term follow-up outcome of cryoballoon ablation (CBA) for atrial ifbrillation (AF) in a single center and to investigate the clinical relative factors which affecting the effect. Methods The inpatient, operating and outpatient data of patients, who were treated by CBA for AF in our center from January 2009 to April 2013, were retrospectively analyzed. Left atrium diameter (LAD) was measured by transthoracic echocardiography. Failure-treatment of CBA was defined by episode of AF, atrial lfutter, atrial tachycardia lasted for 30 seconds after 3 months. Results A total of 199 patients were enrolled. The rates of phrenic nerve paralysis, pericardial effusion, transient ischemic attack were 1.5%(n=3), 0.5%(n=1), 0.5%(n=1),respectively. All complications were resolved spontaneously.152 patients had completed follow-up data after ifrst-time CBA during a long-term follow-up of mean 23±14 months, 65 patients (42.8%) treated success. 75 patients with failure-treated were (86.2%) experienced the atrial arrhythmia recurrence in ifrst 12 month. The characteristics of failure-treated patients included with older age[(62±7) years vs. (52±10) years, P=0.0379]and larger LAD[(48±6)mm vs. (43±6) mm, P<0.0001]. The Logistic analysis showed that LAD[OR=0.896(0.842,0.953), P=0.005]and age[OR=1.037 (1.000,1.076), P=0.0488]could individually predict the treat-failure after ifrst CBA, and only LAD[OR=0.876 (0.822,0.935), P < 0.0001]could individually predict the total CBA. Conclusions CBA procedure for AF is safe and effective, and the result of long-term follow-up is preferable. Most atrial arrhythmia are recurred during ifrst 12 month after CBA. LAD can individually predict the failure in treatment of CBA.

Objective To investigate the effect of Jagged1 on hippocampal radial glial cells (RGCs) proliferation and neuronal differentiation in vitro.Methods Hippocampal RGCs were cultured in vitro, the agonist Jagged1 and(or) inhibitor DAPT of Notch signaling were added into the culture medium , and then the cells were divided into control group , Jagged1 group, Jagged1 combined with DAPT group and DAPT group .CCK-8 regent was used to detect cells ’ vitality;immunofluorescent was used to detect the number of BLBP /Ki67 double labeled cells and differentiated microtubule associated protein-2(MAP-2) positive cells.Results Cell vitality in Jagged1 group was obviously higher than that of the other groups .The number of BLBP/Ki67 double labeled cells and differentiated MAP-2 positive cells were more than other groups.Conclusion Jagged1 promotes the proliferation and neuronal differentiation of hippocampal RGCs in vitro.

Objective To establish the reference ranges of the spatial angles among cardiac chambers and great vessels in second and third trimester fetuses measured by spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC).Methods Volume images of 352 normal fetuses from 20 to 38 weeks of gestation were recruited in the study.An off-line analysis of acquired volume datasets was carried out with multiplanar mode.Parameters measured included angles between:(1) the 4-chamber view and the left ventricular long axis view; (2) the left ventricular long axis view and main pulmonary artery; and (3) the ductal arch and aortic arch.The relationships between above-mentioned angles and gestational age were assessed by correlation and regression analysis.Results The angle between the 4-chamber view and the left ventricular long axis view (range:55.7° - 35.7°,mean:45.7° ± 5.12°) was uncorrelated with gestational age (r = 0.03,P = 0.51).In contrast,the angle between the left ventricular long axis view and main pulmonary artery,and the angle between the ductal arch and aortic arch were correlated with gestational age (P ＜ 0.001),and the correlation coefficient was - 0.53 and 0.57 respectively.The best-fit exponential curve regression equations of the angle between the left ventricular long axis view and main pulmonary artery was:Y = 154- 4.24X +0.05X2 ,and the angle between the ductal arch and aortic arch was:Y = - 20.8 + 2.65X - 0.37X2.Conclusions The angles among cardiac chambers and great arteries of fetuses from 20 to 38 weeks of gestation can be quantitatively measured by STIC.The reference ranges provide a reliable quantitative standard to estimate the spatial relationships of the cardiac large arteries of fetuses,which may be clinically useful in prenatal screening congenital heart disease.

The optimal treatment strategy for unresectable huge hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is yet to be established. Non-surgical monotherapy demonstrated insufficient oncologic outcomes in previously reported studies. To improve the clinical outcomes of unresectable huge HCC, combined locoregional treatments can be considered in selected cases. Here, we report a case of 58-year-old male patient who was treated with combined transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and external beam radiotherapy for recurrent HCC after a previous hepatic resection. After combined TACE and radiotherapy for the intrahepatic lesion, two metastases were diagnosed in the pelvic bones and lung; each lesion was successfully treated with salvage radiotherapy. During the long-term follow-up period (around 8 years 7 months after combined TACE and radiotherapy for the recurrent huge HCC), no definite viable tumors were observed in any of the treated liver, bone, and lung lesions.

BACKGROUND: First-line drugs, if sensitive, are the most potent drugs in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). This study examined the frequency and risk factors associated with acquired drug resistance to first-line drugs during a standardized treatment using first-line drugs in patients with MDR-TB. METHODS: This study included patients who were diagnosed with MDR-TB at the National Masan Tuberculosis Hospital between January 2004 and May 2008, treated with standardized first-line drugs, and for whom the preand post-treatment results of the drug susceptibility test were available. Their medical records were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Of 41 MDR-TB patients, 14 (34.1%) acquired additional resistance to ethambutol (EMB) or pyrazinamide (PZA). Of 11 patients initially resistant to isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RFP), 3 (27.3%) acquired additional resistance to both EMB and PZA, and 3 (27.3%) to PZA. Of 18 patients initially resistant to INH, RFP and EMB, 6 (33.3%) acquired additional resistance to PZA. Of 6 patients initially resistant to INH, RFP and PZA, 2 (33.3%) acquired additional resistance to EMB. Ten of the 41 MDR-TB patients (24.4%) changed from resistant to susceptible. No statistically significant risk factors associated with acquired resistance could be found. CONCLUSION: First-line drugs should be used cautiously in the treatment of MDR-TB in Korea considering the potential acquisition of drug resistance.
Drug Resistance ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Ethambutol ; Hospitals, Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Isoniazid ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Nitroimidazoles ; Pyrazinamide ; Retrospective Studies ; Rifampin ; Risk Factors ; Sulfonamides ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant

BACKGROUND: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is an increasing public health problem and poses a serious threat to global TB control. Fluoroquinolone (FQ) and aminoglycoside (AG) are essential anti-TB drugs for MDR-TB treatment. REBA MTB-FQ(R) and REBA MTB-KM(R) (M&D, Wonju, Korea) were evaluated for rapid detection of FQ and kanamycin (KM) resistance in MDR-TB clinical isolates. METHODS: M. tuberculosis (n=67) were isolated and cultured from the sputum samples of MDR-TB patients for extracting DNA of the bacilli. Mutations in genes, gyrA and rrs, that have been known to be associated with resistance to FQ and KM were analyzed using both REBA MTB-FQ(R) and REBA MTB-KM(R), respectively. The isolates were also utilized for a conventional phenotypic drug susceptibility test (DST) as the gold standard of FQ and KM resistance. The molecular and phenotypic DST results were compared. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity of REBA MTB-FQ(R) were 77 and 100%, respectively. Positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the assay were 100 and 95%, respectively, for FQ resistance. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of REBA MTB-KM(R) for detecting KM resistance were 66%, 94%, 70%, and 95%, respectively. CONCLUSION: REBA MTB-FQ(R) and REBA MTB-KM(R) evaluated in this study showed excellent specificities as 100 and 94%, respectively. However, sensitivities of the assays were low. It is essential to increase sensitivity of the rapid drug resistance assays for appropriate MDR-TB treatment, suggesting further investigation to detect new or other mutation sites of the associated genes in M. tuberculosis is required.
Chimera ; DNA ; Drug Resistance ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Fluoroquinolones ; Humans ; Kanamycin ; Kanamycin Resistance ; Mycobacterium ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Public Health ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant

BACKGROUND: Sputum decontamination with NALC-NaOH (N-acetyl-L-cysteine-sodium hydroxide) is known to better detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) by culture than that with using NaOH, which is widely used in Korean hospitals. In this report, sputum samples collected from pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients were treated with either NaOH or NALC-NaOH, and we compared the results of smear and culture positivity to determine whether the NALC-NaOH treatment method improves culture positivity in the sputum samples, and especially for those sputum samples that are smear negative and scanty. METHODS: For each decontamination method, 436 sputum samples from pulmonary TB patients in the National Masan Tuberculosis Hospital were collected for this study. Sputum from a patient was collected two times for the first and second day of sampling time, and these samples were employed for the decontamination process by performing the 4% NaOH and NALC-2% NaOH treatment methods, respectively, for detecting M. tb by an AFB (Acid Fast Bacilli) smear and also by culture in solid Ogawa medium. RESULTS: The NaOH and NALC-NaOH treatment methods did not significantly affect the AFB smear positivity of the sputum samples (33.0% vs 39.0%, respectively, p=0.078). However, the culture positive percents of M. tb in the Ogawa medium treated with NALC-NaOH and NaOH were 39.7% and 28.0%, respectively, which was a significantly different (p=0.0003). This difference in culture was more prominent in the sputum samples that were smear negative (the positive percents with NALC-NaOH and NaOH were 15.8% and 7.2%, respectively, p=0.0017) and scanty (NALC-NaOH and NaOH were 60.8% and 42.9%, respectively, p=0.036), but not for a smear that was 1+ or higher (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: NALC-NaOH treatment is better than NaOH treatment for the detection of M. tb by culture, but not by smear, and especially when the AFB smear is negative and scanty.
Decontamination ; Hospitals, Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Nitroimidazoles ; Sputum ; Sulfonamides ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

With recent remarkable technological advances in radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is regarded as an alternative treatment option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that is not suitable for curative treatment. Several prospective and retrospective studies on the use of SBRT in patients with HCC showed promising results. Furthermore, on-going prospective studies are examining the role of SBRT as a single ablative modality or a combination treatment in patients with HCC. Here, we summarize previous studies and recent updates and discuss the future perspectives of SBRT for HCC.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies

Objective: To explore the mediating role of psychological and physical aggression in the association between maternal emotional symptoms with emotional and behavioral problems in preschool children, so as to provide references for effective intervention of risk factors related to childrens emotional and behavioral problems. Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted to select 12 kindergarten children and their mothers in Wuhu City, Anhui Province by using stratified clustering sampling. The baseline survey was carried out in June 2021, followed up every six months, and a total of 3 followups were administered. Totally 853 valid questionnaires of junior class children were included by the survey data from baseline, second and thirl followups. The Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales (CTSPC) and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were used to measure maternal emotional symptoms, psychological and physical aggression, and childrens emotional and behavioral problems, respectively. Results: The physical aggression of mothers towards children in boys was higher than in girls (t=3.53, P<0.05). The results of correlation analysis showed that maternal depressive symptoms were positively correlated with psychological aggression, physical aggression and childrens SDQ scores (r=0.20, 0.21, 0.18, P<0.01), maternal anxiety symptoms were positively correlated with psychological aggression, physical aggression and childrens SDQ scores (r=0.24, 0.22, 0.10, P<0.01), respectively; maternal stress symptoms were positively correlated with psychological aggression, physical aggression. The SDQ scores were positively correlated (r=0.26, 0.25, 0.18, P<0.01), and the scores of maternal psychological aggression and physical aggression were positively correlated with the SDQ scores of children (r=0.12, 0.16, P<0.01). The mediating analysis showed that after controlling for related confounding factors, psychological aggression played a partial mediating effect in the association between maternal depressive symptoms and childrens emotional and behavioral problems, and the mediating effect ratio was 8.05%. Physical aggression played a partial mediating effect in the association between maternal depression, anxiety and stress symptoms and childrens emotional and behavioral problems, which were 15.94%, 11.73% and 12.54% (P<0.05), respectively. Conclusions Psychological and physical aggression play mediating roles in the association between maternal emotional symptoms and childrens emotional and behavioral problems, and actively improving maternal emotional symptoms and their childrens discipline methods can help reduce the occurrence of emotional and behavioral problems in preschool children.