No abstract available.
Aged* ; Humans

BACKGROUND: It is not yet clear whether the abnormal cytokine production in relation to serum IgE levels in atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with the amount of mRNA of cytokine gene. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to delineate the effect of reciprocal correlation in the level of mRNA between interleukin-4 (I") and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in severe AD. METHODS: We examined 15 cases including 5 AD patients with high serum IgE (>2,000 kU/liter), 5 AD patients with low serum IgE (<100 kU/liter), and 5 healthy controls. Using semi quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, IL-4 and IFN-γ gene expressions in peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMC) were examined. RESULTS: 1) IL-4 gene expression in spontaneous PBMC was higher in AD patient groups than in control group, significantly higher only in AD patient group with high serum IgE level (p < 0.05). 2) IFN-γ gene expression in spontaneous PBMC showed increased tendency in AD patient groups than in control group without statistical significance. 3) IL-4 and IFN-γ gene expressions in stimulated PBMC were not different among all three groups. CONCLUSION: In light of our results, high and low IgE subgroups in AD can exist and AD may not be R characterized by the shift in the reciprocal relationship between IL-4 and IFN-γ when T cells are stimulated under antigen presenting cell-independent conditions.
Dermatitis, Atopic ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Interferon-gamma* ; Interleukin-4* ; RNA, Messenger ; T-Lymphocytes

PURPOSE: To study the effectiveness of fibrin sealant to control intraoperative bleeding during pars plana vitrectomy of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: Intravitreal fibrin sealant was applied to 100 eyes of proliferative diabetic retinopathy patients prospectively. Preoperative fundus finding included longstanding vitreous hemmorrhages, preretinal macular hemorrhages and tractional retinal detachments. The male vs female ratio was 38: 52, and the mean age was 62.4 years. Panretinal laser photocoagulation was done in all patients preoperatively. RESULTS: In all of 100 (100%) eyes, intraoperative bleeding was controled. Intraoperative complication consisted overinjection of fibrin sealant in 2 eyes. Postoperative complications comprised transient IOP elevation in 20 eyes, mild epiretinal membrane in 1 eye, and delayed absorption of fibrin sealant in 1 eye. Average absorption time of fibrin sealant was 21 +/- 1.3 days. CONCLUSIONS: Fibrin sealant is an effective and safe tool to control intraoperative bleeding during pars plana vitrectomy.
Absorption ; Diabetic Retinopathy* ; Epiretinal Membrane ; Female ; Fibrin Tissue Adhesive* ; Fibrin* ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Intraoperative Complications ; Light Coagulation ; Male ; Postoperative Complications ; Prospective Studies ; Retinal Detachment ; Traction ; Vitrectomy

Compensatory hypertrophy of muscle fibers has been known to occur when burden on a skeletal muscle is increased. However, there have not been reports concerning the response of extraocular muscles following a monocular resection and recession of horizontal muscles, which procedure is a common form of strabismus surgery. A large lateral rectus resection and medial rectus recession was performed in each right eye of 28 rats. After the horizontal muscle surgery, both medial and lateral rectus muscles were obtained from both eyes of each rat with an interval of 2 weeks from the initial operation until 8th week after operation. A mid-portion of an extirpated muscles were frozen and prepared for ATPase staining. With a differential preincubation in two buffered solutions, pH 4.6 and pH 10.3 and ATPase staining, muscle fibers were classified into 3 kinds-global singly innervated fiber(GSIF, alkali-stable), global multi-innervated fiber(GMIF, alkali-labile), and orbital surface layer fiber(OSLF). These muscle fibers were measured using micrometer to find out their diameters and compared with the diameter of extraocular muscle fibers of unoperated rats. All kinds of muscle fibers of a resected lateral rectus showed an increase in their diameteris(p<0.05, Wilcoxon rank sum test) but there was no hypertrophy in the recessed medial rectus the yolk muscle of the resected lateral rectus, medial rectus of the fellow eye also showed hypertrophy of GMIF and OSLF. The lateral rectus of the unoperated fellow eye did not reveal muscle fiber hypertrophy. The postoperative hypertrophy of muscle fibers were observed only at the 2nd and 4th postoperative week specimens. the hypertrophied muscles subsequently returned to the baseline fiber diameter.
Adenosine Triphosphatases ; Animals ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hypertrophy* ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscles ; Orbit ; Rats* ; Strabismus

OBJECTIVE: Analyses of the 24 items of the Mini-Memory Test (MiMeT) using the item response theory. METHODS: Item difficulty and item discrimination of all items were evaluated with the 2-parametric logistic model in elderly psychiatric patients with memory impairment (n=332, 48.4%) and without (n=354, 51.6%). The BILOG 3 for Windows was employed for the analysis. RESULTS: The mean item difficulty (+/-SD) was -0.878 (+/-1.176), with range of -3.299~0.902. The mean item discrimination (+/-SD) was -1.051(+/-0.392), ranging from 0.346 to 1.848. Discriminations of 19 items were above appropriate level and the delayed recall of short story items of the long-term memory had the highest discrimination. CONCLUSION: All the MiMeT items were thought as having no problems as memory screening test in terms of difficulty and discrimination at the level of p<0.01.
Aged* ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Memory ; Memory, Long-Term

Nitric oxide (NO) production by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) plays a protective role in cerebral ischemia by maintaining vascular permeability, whereas NO derived from neuronal and inducible NOS is neurotoxic and can participate in neuronal damage occurring in ischemia. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are up-regulated by ischemic injury and degrade the basement membrane if brain vessels to promote cell death and tissue injury. We previously reported that agmatine, synthesized from L-arginine by arginine decarboxylase (ADC) which is expressed in endothelial cells, has shown a direct increased eNOS expression and decreased MMPs expression in bEnd3 cells. But, there are few reports about the regulation of eNOS by agmatine in ischemic animal model. In the present study, we examined the expression of eNOS and MMPs by agmatine treatment after transient global ischemia in vivo. Global ischemia was induced with four vessel occlusion (4-VO) and agmatine (100 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally at the onset of reperfusion. The animals were euthanized at 6 and 24 hours after global ischemia and prepared for other analysis. Global ischemia led severe neuronal damage in the rat hippocampus and cerebral cortex, but agmatine treatment protected neurons from ischemic injury. Moreover, the level and expression of eNOS was increased by agmatine treatment, whereas inducible NOS (iNOS) and MMP-9 protein expressions were decreased in the brain. These results suggest that agmatine protects microvessels in the brain by activation eNOS as well as reduces extracellular matrix degradation during the early phase of ischemic insult.
Agmatine ; Animals ; Arginine ; Basement Membrane ; Brain ; Brain Ischemia ; Capillary Permeability ; Carboxy-Lyases ; Cell Death ; Cerebral Cortex ; Endothelial Cells ; Extracellular Matrix ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Hippocampus ; Ischemia ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; Microvessels ; Models, Animal ; Neurons ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; Rats ; Reperfusion

The authors analysed 22 patients who were admitted to Gyeongsang National University Hospital because of ocular injuries induced by Power lawn mowers from March 1, 1991 to December 31, 1994. All of the patients were males. The average age of the patients was 43.3(range 15-69). Most injuries occured between June and September. Perforating injuries were developed in 8(36.4%) of 22 eyes and non-perforating injuries in 14(63.6%) eyes. The type of injuries were lens damage(10/22), vitreous hemorrhage(8/22), iridodialysis(4/22), intraocular foreign body(3/22), endophthalmitis(2/22), retinal detachment(1/22), and choroidal rupture(1/22). The prognosis was poor when the eyeball was perforated. Therefore safety goggles are absolutely needed for prevention of ocular injuries induced by Power lawn mowers.
Choroid ; Endophthalmitis ; Eye Protective Devices ; Humans ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retinaldehyde

No abstract available.
Chest Pain* ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Thorax*

OBJECTIVE: Perinatal hemorrhagic stroke (PHS) is common cause of cerebral palsy, congenital hemiparesis, and subsequent behavioral, cognitive, and language problems. Despite of this importance, risk factors for this condition have not been studied. This study was undertaken to survey the clinical features and risk factors of PHS. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out on 24 newborns with PHS who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Daegu Fatima hospital from January 2004 to July 2009. Cases of PHS in neonates (28 weeks' gestational age through 28 days of life) were identified through neuroimaging studies, clinical findings and chart review. Two controls per case were randomly selected. Risk factors of PHS were assessed and clinical features of PHS were reviewed. RESULTS: We identified 24 cases of PHS (19 intracerebral hemorrhage, 4 intracerebral hemorrhage with subarachnoid hemorrhage, 1 subarachnoid hemorrhage). PHS was more common in male (15 males and 9 females). Case presented with encephalopathy (100%), seizures (20.8%) and cyanosis (4.2%). The neuroimaging findings of PHS were more commonly unilateral (78.3%), and right-hemisphere (73.9%). PHS was most often seen in temporal lobe (38.2%). There were no statistical and significant risk factors of PHS. CONCLUSIONS: Newborns with PHS typically present with encephalopathy (lethargy, hypotonia, apnea, feeding disability) and seizures. The neuroimaging findings were more commonly unifocal, unilateral and seen in temporal lobe. Additional prospective studies are needed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of PHS.
Apnea ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Cerebral Palsy ; Cyanosis ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Male ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Neuroimaging ; Paresis ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Seizures ; Stroke ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Temporal Lobe

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical characteristics of bacterial culture, and visual outcome in patients with acute endophthalmitis. METHODS: Clinical records of patients treated for acute endophthalmitis in GNUH from 2000 to 2009 were reviewed. The specimens for culture were obtained from the anterior chamber or vitreous. Clinical outcome measures were bacterial culture, culture rate, and final visual acuity. RESULTS: Cultures (total 59 cases) showed bacterial growth in 37 cases (63%). Among 35 cases vitreous specimens, bacteria growth was found in 22 cases (63%), and from the 27 anterior chamber specimens, 12 cases (44%) were culture positive. From these 37 bacterial-positive cultures, 11 (30%) were coagulase negative Staphylococcus species, 16 (43.0%) were other Gram-positive species, 9 (24%) were Gram-negative species, and 1 (3%) produced a polymicrobial culture. Final visual acuity above 0.5 was achieved in 16 of 59 (27%) cases and coagulase negative Staphylococcus species had the greatest proportion being 5 of 11 (45%). CONCLUSIONS: The bacterial culture positivity rate in bacterial endophthalmitis was 63%, and the culture yield rate from the vitreous was higher than the anterior chamber aqueous samples. Coagulase negative Staphylococcus species were the most common causative organisms and showed the best final visual outcome in endophthalmitis.
Anterior Chamber ; Bacteria ; Coagulase ; Endophthalmitis ; Humans ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Staphylococcus ; Visual Acuity