Although the incidence of epidemic encephalitis has decreased mardekly nowadays, sporadic cases are stillobserved in Korea. In this study, CT findings of 17 patients with clinically and serologically proven epidemicencephalitis were analized. In principle, CT scans were done at the acute and subacute stage, whithin 20 days fromonset. The results were follows; 1. Of all 17 patients with CT scan, normal scan were demonstrated in 3 cases andabnormal scans in 14 cases. 2. The abnormal CT findings were ; area of low density in 9 cases, brain edema in 7cases, nodular and gyral contrast enhancement in 3 cases, central brain atrophy in 3 cases and hemorrhagic highdensity in 2 cases in order of frequency. 3. The CT findings, according to date of CT scan from onset, were; brainedema and are of low density within 10 days from onset, normal or central brain atrophy between 11 days and 20days, are of hemorrhagic high density and contrast enhanced lesions at both stage. 4. The locational distributionswere; thalamus and cerebral white matter in 7 cases respectively, basal ganglia in 5 cases, cerebral cortex in 4cases and septum pellucidum in 1 case in order of frequency.
Atrophy ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Brain Edema ; Cerebral Cortex ; Encephalitis, Arbovirus ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Septum Pellucidum ; Thalamus ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; White Matter

Restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) was used to transform uracil auxotrophs of Pleurotus ostreatus to prototrophy. When protoplasts of Pleurotus ostreatus were treated by the reaction mixture containing 10 units of BamHI, the frequency of REMI was about 64 transformants per 1 microg of DNA. This efficiency was increased by 14.2 times compared with that of the conventional PEG transformation. The optimal condition for REMI of P. ostreatus was achieved when 1 microg of linearized pTRura3-2 DNA was added into 1x10(7) protoplasts along with 10 units BamHI. Southern blot analysis revealed that about 50% of transformants examined were caused by REMI event and 30% carried single copy insertion at the genome. This suggested that the REMI method might be a useful tool for efficient transformation and tagging mutagenesis of P. ostreatus.
Blotting, Southern ; DNA ; Genome ; Mutagenesis ; Pleurotus* ; Protoplasts ; Uracil

The oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) is one of the most important edible mushrooms worldwide. The mechanism of P. ostreatus fruiting body development has been of interest both for the basic understanding of the phenotypic change of the mycelium-fruiting body and to improve breeding of the mushrooms. Based on our previous publication of P. ostreatus expressed sequence tag database, 1,528 unigene clones were used in macroarray analysis of mycelium, fruiting body and basidiospore developmental stages of P. ostreatus. Gene expression profile databases generated by evaluating expression levels showed that 33, 10, and 94 genes were abundantly expressed in mycelium, fruiting body and basidiospore developmental stages, respectively. Among them, the genes specifically expressed in the fruiting body stage were further analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Northern blot to investigate temporal and spatial expression patterns. These results provide useful information for future studies of edible mushroom development.
Agaricales ; Blotting, Northern ; Breeding ; Clone Cells ; Estrone ; Expressed Sequence Tags ; Fruit ; Mycelium ; Pleurotus ; Publications ; Transcriptome

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the caudate lobe remains one of the most intricate locations where various treatments tend to pose problems with regard to the optimal approach. Surgical resection has been regarded as the most effective treatment; however, isolated resection of the caudate lobe is strenuous and associated with a high rate of early recurrence. Percutaneous ablation might be technically difficult or impossible to perform due to the deep location of tumors and adjacent large vessels. Treatment with drug-eluting beads (DEB) can potentially enhance the therapeutic efficacy for patients with unresectable HCC by drawing on the slower, more consistent drug delivery process. We described a case of a 62-year-old man with HCC in the caudate lobe who was successfully treated by DEB.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*therapy ; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic ; Doxorubicin/administration & dosage ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/*therapy ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Neoplasm Staging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Protoplasts of the wild type strain of Pleurotus osteatus were mutagenized with UV light, and 3,000 colonies were examined for abnormal mycelial and fruiting phenotypes. Forty one strains displayed variant phenotypes in mycelia and fruiting processes. The variant phenotypes were classified into 6 groups: (1) auxotrophic strains, which are incapable of growing on minimal media and can only grow when provided with their specific requirements; (2) abnormal vegetative strains, which grow very slowly on minimal and complete media; (3) primordiumless strains, which fail to develop to the formation of primordia; (4) maturationless strains, which form primordia, but do not form mature fruiting bodies; (5) specifically colored strains, which have Specific bluish grey or bluish white pileus; (6) poorly spored strains, which fail to produce basidiospore or which produce few spores. These variant strains may be useful in genetic breeding programs and for the studies of fungal development and genetics.
Breeding ; Fruit ; Genetics ; Phenotype ; Pleurotus* ; Protoplasts ; Spores ; Ultraviolet Rays

BACKGROUND: The introduction of new immunosuppressants has prompted several trials of steroid withdrawal immunosuppression. However, several groups have reported a higher incidence of rejection. METHODS: We conducted a randomized two-arm, parallel group, open label, prospective study to compare steroid withdrawal (at 6 months post-transplant) regimens: tacrolimus+mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) (FK group) vs cyclosporine+MMF (CyA group). Entry criteria were: first living donor transplant recipient, no diabetes mellitus (DM), no congestive heart failure, no chronic liver disease, and no acute rejection by 6 months post-transplant. The primary endpoint was a biopsy-proven acute rejection episode or treatment failure within 1 year post- transplant. RESULTS: While eighty-seven recipients were assigned to FK (n=43) and CyA group (n=44) before transplantation, seventy-six recipients (FK 39, CyA 37) could taper off steroid at 6 months post-transplant since eleven were excluded due to acute rejection within 6 months post-transplant (FK 2, CyA 3), protocol violation (FK 2, CyA 1), drug change due to side effect (CyA 2) and follow-up loss (CyA 1). After steroid withdrawal, acute rejection episode was 0% in FK group and 13.5% in CyA group (p<0.05). Other results at 12 months post-transplant are comparable: incidence of DM 7.8 vs 0% (FK group vs CyA group), incidence of hypercholesterolemia 41.0 vs 59.5%, proportion of use antihypertensives 48.7 vs 59.6%, plasma creatinine 1.21+-0.24 vs 1.31+-0.50 mg/dL (p>0.05 in every variable). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that steroid withdrawal are successful in first living donor renal transplant recipients and tacrolimus may be more effective than cyclosporine significantly in preventing acute rejection after steroid withdrawal.
Antihypertensive Agents ; Creatinine ; Cyclosporine* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Immunosuppression ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Incidence ; Liver Diseases ; Living Donors* ; Plasma ; Prospective Studies ; Tacrolimus* ; Transplantation* ; Treatment Failure

OBJECTIVE: In order to evaluate how immunosuppressive agents such as MMF and AZA would influence on the outcome of the graft kidney, we analyzed the incidence of acute rejection episodes and one year graft survival rate after minimizing influences of donor factors by grafting the same cadaveric donor kidney. METHODS: From April, 1998 to January, 2000, sixty eight patients grafted by 34 cadaver donors were enrolled in our study. From the same donor, one was randomly assigned to the MMF group(n=34) who were treated with cyclosporine, MMF, prednisolone while the other kidney was assigned to the AZA group(n=34) with cyclosporine, AZA, prednisolone. We analyzed the incidence of acute rejection episodes and CMV infection within the first 6 months of renal transplantation and one year graft survival rate was studied prospectively. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in sex, HLA mismatch, cold ischemic time, and patients' weight between two group. Acute rejection or treatment failure occurred in 35.3% in the MMF group by 6 months after transplant, compared with 32.4% in the AZA group without statistic significance(12/34 vs. 11/34, p>0.05). One year graft survival rate was 91.2% and 97.1%, respectively, and CMV infection was documented in 4 patients(1/34 vs. 3/34, p>0.05). CONCLUSION: There were no significant differences in the incidence of acute rejection episodes and one year graft survival rate between two groups. In contrast, previous studies showed that MMF could have lowered the incidence of acute rejection episodes and improved graft survival rate. This discrepancy in results might be explained that donor factors were important to cadaveric renal transplantation. Thus, we suggest that the influences of donor factors should be considered in further clinical study of cadaveric renal trans-plantation.
Cadaver* ; Cold Ischemia ; Cyclosporine ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Prednisolone ; Prospective Studies ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants ; Treatment Failure

Background: The risk of device thrombosis and device-oriented clinical outcomes with bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) was reported to be significantly higher than with contemporary drug-eluting stents (DESs). However, optimal device implantation may improve clinical outcomes in patients receiving BVS. The current study evaluated mid-term safety and efficacy of Absorb BVS with meticulous device optimization under intravascular imaging guidance. Methods: The SMART-REWARD and PERSPECTIVE-PCI registries in Korea prospectively enrolled 390 patients with BVS and 675 patients with DES, respectively. The primary endpoint was target vessel failure (TVF) at 2 years and the secondary major endpoint was patientoriented composite outcome (POCO) at 2 years. Results: Patient-level pooled analysis evaluated 1,003 patients (377 patients with BVS and 626 patients with DES). Mean scaffold diameter per lesion was 3.24 ± 0.30 mm in BVS group.Most BVSs were implanted with pre-dilatation (90.9%), intravascular imaging guidance (74.9%), and post-dilatation (73.1%) at proximal to mid segment (81.9%) in target vessel.Patients treated with BVS showed comparable risks of 2-year TVF (2.9% vs. 3.7%, adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.283, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.487–3.378, P = 0.615) and 2-year POCO (4.5% vs. 5.9%, adjusted HR, 1.413, 95% CI, 0.663–3.012,P = 0.370) than those with DES. The rate of 2-year definite or probable device thrombosis (0.3% vs. 0.5%, P = 0.424) was also similar. The sensitivity analyses consistently showed comparable risk of TVF and POCO between the 2 groups. Conclusion With meticulous device optimization under imaging guidance and avoidance of implantation in small vessels, BVS showed comparable risks of 2-year TVF and device thrombosis with DES.