No abstract available.
Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

No abstract available.
Orbit* ; Orbital Fractures*

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in children is associated with the accumulation of body water after cardiac operation, as a consequence of an inflammatory capillary leak. Following work by Elliott in 1991, modified ultrafiltration (MUF) was introduced after bypass as a means of hemoconcentrating patients and a potential way of removing water from the tissues. We have carried out a prospective randomized study of 20 children undergoing open heart surgery, comparing MUF with nonfiltered controls. MUF was carried out for a mean of 18.9 minutes after completion of CPB to a hematocrit of 37.1% (mean). The mean water volulme removed by the ultrafiltration was 38.4 ml/kg and the mean blood volume retransfused from the oxygenator during the ultrafiltration was 32.1 ml/kg. Fluid balance, hemodynamics, hematocrit, osmolarity and dosage of drug treatment were recorded for 4~12 hours postoperatively. The results were analyzed using Student t-test and ANOVA, comparing controls (n=10) to MUF (n=10). Blood loss (ml/kg/24hr) was 14.5 (mean) in MUF versus 13.7 in controls; blood transfused (ml/kg/24hr) 6.6 in MUF versus 15.2 in controls; plasma transfused (ml/kg/24hr) 65.7 in MUF versus 59.6 in controls. There was rise in arterial blood pressure and hematocrit during MUF. Percent rise of systolic blood pressure was 28.8% in MUF versus 18.7% in controls (p=0.366); percent rise of diastolic blood pressure was 28.8% in MUF versus 8.5% in controls (p=0.135); and percent rise of mean blood pressure was 36.2% in MUF versus 8.2% in controls (p=0.086). Percent rise of hematocrit was 40.0% in MUF versus 23.5% in controls (p=0.002). There was no significant difference in the inotropic requirement and the postoperative serum osmolarity between two groups. The number of days on the ventilator, the duration of stay in the intensive care unit, and the postoperative hospital stay were not significantly different between the two groups.
Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Volume ; Body Water ; Capillaries ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Child ; Heart* ; Hematocrit ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Length of Stay ; Osmolar Concentration ; Oxygen ; Oxygenators ; Plasma ; Postoperative Period ; Prospective Studies ; Thoracic Surgery* ; Ultrafiltration* ; Ventilators, Mechanical ; Water-Electrolyte Balance

BACKGROUND: Twelve patients with acyanotic tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), characterized by the combination of a malaligned ventricular septal defect (VSD) and infundibular pulmonic stenosis with the clinical finding of acyanosis at rest, underwent surgical correction between January 1988 and July 1997. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 9.92% of patients with the diagnosis of TOF were acyanotic TOF in the same period. Ages ranged from 12 to 42 months (mean 25.2 months). 2D-echocardiographic studies, cardiac catheterization, and angiocardiograms were performed in all patients before operation. The preoperative mean systemic arterial oxygen saturation was 93.5%. According to the 2D-echocardiographic analysis, there was Lt-to-Rt shunt through VSD in 4 patients, bidirectional shunt in 2 patients, and no shunt in 6 patients. RESULTS: The preoperative mean right ventricle to pulmonary artery (RV-PA) pressure gradients were 52.3 mmHg on 2D-echocardiogram and 48.4 mmHg on cardiac catheterization. The repair of ventricular septal defect was performed through a right atrial approach and the hypertrophic infundibular muscle bundles were resected by the transatrial and transpulmonary approach. Six patients (50%) received a transannular patch. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 135.0 minutes, and the aortic crossclamp time was 87.8 minutes. Postoperative complications included bleeding necessitating reentry in one and chylothorax in one. No patient died after operation and there were no late deaths. Postoperative 2D-echocardiograms revealed tiny patch dehiscence in 5 cases and a moderate RV-PA pressure gradients (mean 15.3 mmHg). All patients were in New York Heart Association functional class 1 after operation. CONCLUSIONS: acyanotic TOF is the uncommon form of TOF, and acyanotic TOF can be repaired with a good outcome.
Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Chylothorax ; Diagnosis ; Heart ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Heart Ventricles ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Oxygen ; Postoperative Complications ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis ; Tetralogy of Fallot*

Cor triatriatum is a rare anomaly in old age. This is a case report of a 66 year-old man who had been preoperatively diagnosed as coronary artery disease and cor triatriatum. The operative findings revealed that the left atrium had an intra-atrial septum with one small opening 10mm in diameter, the upper compartment received both pulmonary veins, and there were no other anomalies like anormalous pulmonary venous connection or atrial septal defect. The patient successfully underwent open heart surgery ; the anomalous septum was resected, the mitral valve was reconstructed using French technique with Carpentier-Edwards ring, and coronary artery bypass grafting was performed.
Aged ; Cor Triatriatum* ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Heart Atria ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Pulmonary Veins ; Thoracic Surgery

No abstract available.
Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal*

Herpes zoster is an uncommon disease in children, especially in healthy children. The clinical studies and observations of herpes zoster has been focused to children with hemato-oncologic diseases or immuno-compromised conditions. Recently the association of herpes zoster after varicella vaccine (Oka strain) immunization has been concerned and some cases of normal children after varicella vaccination have been reported. We experienced two cases of herpes zoster in healthy children after varicella vaccination.
Chickenpox Vaccine ; Chickenpox* ; Child* ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Immunization ; Vaccination*

Demethoxycurcumin (DMC), which is a curcuminoid found in turmeric, has anti-proliferative effects on cancer cells. However, the effect of DMC on osteosarcoma has not been established. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of DMC on cell growth and apoptosis induction in MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells. This study was investigated using 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromid assay, Live/Dead cell assay, 4’, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining, and immunoblotting in MG-63 cells. DMC induced MG-63 cell death in a dosedependent manner, with an estimated IC50 value of 54.4 μM. DMC treatment resulted in nuclear condensation in MG-63 cells. DMC-induced apoptosis in MG-63 cells was mediated by the expression of Fas and activation of caspase-8, caspase-3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Immunoblotting results showed that Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were downregulated, while Bax and Bad were upregulated by DMC in MG-63 cells. These results indicated that DMC inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptotic cell death in MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells via the death receptormediated extrinsic apoptotic pathway and mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathway.

Demethoxycurcumin (DMC), which is a curcuminoid found in turmeric, has anti-proliferative effects on cancer cells. However, the effect of DMC on osteosarcoma has not been established. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of DMC on cell growth and apoptosis induction in MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells. This study was investigated using 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromid assay, Live/Dead cell assay, 4’, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining, and immunoblotting in MG-63 cells. DMC induced MG-63 cell death in a dosedependent manner, with an estimated IC50 value of 54.4 μM. DMC treatment resulted in nuclear condensation in MG-63 cells. DMC-induced apoptosis in MG-63 cells was mediated by the expression of Fas and activation of caspase-8, caspase-3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Immunoblotting results showed that Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were downregulated, while Bax and Bad were upregulated by DMC in MG-63 cells. These results indicated that DMC inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptotic cell death in MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells via the death receptormediated extrinsic apoptotic pathway and mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathway.

The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of Arctigenin on cell growth and the mechanism of cell death elicited by Arctigenin were examined in FaDu human pharyngeal carcinoma cells. To determine the apoptotic activity of Arctigenin in FaDu human pharyngeal carcinoma cells, cell viability assay, DAPI staining, caspase activation analysis, and immunoblotting were performed. Arctigenin inhibited the growth of cells in a dose-dependent manner and induced nuclear condensation and fragmentation. Arctigenin-treated cells showed caspase-3/7 activation and increased apoptosis versus control cells. FasL, a death ligand associated with extrinsic apoptotic signaling pathways, was up-regulated by Arctigenin treatment. Moreover, caspase-8, a part of the extrinsic apoptotic pathway, was activated by Arctigenin treatments. Expressions of anti-apoptotic factors such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, components of the mitochondria-dependent intrinsic apoptosis pathway, significantly decreased following Arctigenin treatment. The expressions of pro-apoptotic factors such as BAX, BAD and caspase-9, and tumor suppressor -53 increased by Arctigenin treatments. In addition, Arctigenin activated caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) induced cell death. Arctigenin also inhibited the proliferation of FaDu cells by the suppression of p38, NF-κB, and Akt signaling pathways. These results suggest that Arctigenin may inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptotic cell death in FaDu human pharyngeal carcinoma cells through both the mitochondria-mediated intrinsic pathway and the death receptormediated extrinsic pathway.