BACKGROUND: Interleukin-4(IL-4) is a 20 kDa glycoprotein and is now known to possess fibrogenic activities. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of IL4 on the extracellular matrix gene expression. METHODS: Quantitation of collagenous protein synthesis, Northern and dot-blot hybridization, transfection experiments and CAT assay in normal human skin fibroblasts were done. RESULTS: Maximal elevation of collagen synthesis was presented at the concentration of IL-4 being S.Ong/ml. In Northern and dot-blot analysis, each level of type I collagens and fibronectin mRNA increased 3.0, and 2.8-fold, respectively in IL4 treated fibroblasts. In CAT to c assay, the percentage of acetylation was 8.3% in the untreated control group and 23.1% in 5.Ong/ml of the IL-4 treated group in normal fibroblasts. The promoter activity was in creased 2.8-fold in II.4(5.Ong/ml) treated fibroblasts compared to the control groups. CONCLUSION: IL4 might be a fibrogenic cytokine that could be important in promoting the biogenesis of collagen proteins. This could be due to increased transcription.
Acetylation ; Animals ; Cats ; Collagen ; Collagen Type I ; Extracellular Matrix* ; Fibroblasts* ; Fibronectins ; Gene Expression* ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Interleukin-4* ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin* ; Transfection

PURPOSE: This study conducted an analysis of cost-effectiveness of the implant and conventional fixed dental prosthesis (CFDP) from a single treatment perspective. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Markov model for cost-effectiveness analysis of the implant and CFDP was carried out over maximum 50 years. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed by the 10,000 Monte-Carlo simulations, and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves (CEAC) were also presented. The results from meta-analysis studies were used to determine the survival rates and complication rates of the implant and CFDP. Data regarding the cost of each treatment method were collected from University Dental Hospital and Statistics Korea for 2013. Using the results of the patient satisfaction survey study, quality-adjusted prosthesis year (QAPY) of the implant and CFDP strategy was evaluated with annual discount rate. RESULTS: When only the direct cost was considered, implants were more cost-effective when the willingness to pay (WTP) was more than 10,000 won at 10th year after the treatment, and more cost-effective regardless of the WTP from 20th year after the prosthodontic treatment. When the indirect cost was added to the direct cost, implants were more cost-effective only when the WTP was more than 75,000 won at the 10th year after the prosthodontic treatment, more than 35,000 won at the 20th year after prosthodontic treatment. CONCLUSION: The CFDP was more cost-effective unless the WTP was more than 75,000 won at the 10th year after prosthodontic treatment. But the cost-effectivenss tendency changed from CFDP to implant as time passed.
Dental Prosthesis* ; Korea ; Patient Satisfaction ; Prostheses and Implants ; Prosthodontics ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: To determine whether Tc-99mMIBI is recognized by the multidrug resistant P-glycoprotein (Pgp), we have measured quantitatively Tc-99mMIBI uptake in cancer cells. The effects of various Pgp reversing agents on cellular Tc-99m-MIBI uptake were also investigated in the presence of multidrug resistance gene-1 (mdr1 gene) overexpression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We measured percentage uptake of Tc-99m-MIBI at different incubation temperatures both in mdr1 positive and negative cells. The effects of verapamil, cyclosporin, and dipyridamole on cellular uptake of Tc-99m-MIBI were also evaluated with or without overexpression of mdr1 gene in cultured murine leukemia L1210 cells. RESULTS: The mdr1 gene expressing cell lines were effectively induced in in vitro with continuous application of low-dose adriamycin or vincristine. Cellular uptake of Tc-99m-MIBI was higher in mdr1 negative L1210 cells than those of mdr1 positive cells, and higher when incubated in 37 degree C than 4 degree C. In the presence of verapamil, cyclosporin or dipyridamole, Tc-99m-MIBI uptake was increased upto 604% in mdr1 positive cells. CONCLUSION: Cellular uptake of Tc-99m-MIBI is lower in leukemia cells over-expressing mdr1 gene, and MDR-reversing agents increase cellular uptake. These results suggest that Tc-99m-MIBI can be used for characterizing Pgp expression and developing MDR-reversing agents In vitro.
Animals ; Cell Line ; Cyclosporine ; Dipyridamole ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Resistance, Multiple* ; Leukemia L1210 ; Leukemia* ; P-Glycoprotein ; Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi* ; Verapamil ; Vincristine

PURPOSE: As mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) shows hypometabolism of medial and lateral tempora lobe, we investigated whether symmetric uptake of F-18-FDG in medial temporal lobes can differentiat mesial from lateral TLE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 113 patients (83 mesial TLE, 30 lateral TLE) wh underwent anterior temporal lobectomy and/or corticectomy with good surgical outcome, we performe F-18-FDG PET and compared F-18-FDG uptake of medial and lateral temporal lobes. All the patients wi mesial TLE had hippocampal sclerosis except one congenital abnormal hippocampus. Patients with latera TLE revealed cerebromalacia, microdysgenesis, arteriovenous malformation, old contusion, and cortical dys plasia. RESULTS: Sensitivity of F-18-FDG PET and MR for mesial TLE was 84% (70/83) and 73% (61/83 respectively. Sensitivity of F-18-FDG PET and MR for lateral TLE was 90% (27/30) and 66% (20/30 respectively. Twelve patients were normal on F-18-FDG PET. 101 patients had hypometabolism of latera temporal lobe. Among 88 patients who showed hypometabolism of medial temporal lobe as well as later temporal lobe, 70 were mesial TLE patients and 18 were lateral TLE on pathologic examination. Positive predictive value of medial temporal hypometabolism for mesial TLE was 80%. Among 13 patients wh showed hypometabolism of only lateral temporal lobe, 4 were mesial TLE and 9 were lateral TLE. Positive predictive value of hypometabolism of lateral temporal lobe for the diagnosis of lateral TLE was 69% ( 13). Normal MR findings stood against medial TLE, whose negative predictive value was 66%. Conclusion Lateral temporal lobe epilepsy should be suspected when there is decreased F-18-FDG uptake in latera temporal lobe with normal uptake in medial temporal lobe.
Anterior Temporal Lobectomy ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Contusions ; Diagnosis ; Electrons* ; Encephalomalacia ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe* ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Positron-Emission Tomography* ; Sclerosis ; Temporal Lobe*

No abstract available.
Brain* ; Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe* ; Frontal Lobe*

OBJECTIVE: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is frequently used to localize language areas in a non-invasive manner. Various paradigms for presurgical localization of language areas have been developed, but a systematic quantitative evaluation of the efficiency of those paradigms has not been performed. In the present study, the authors analyzed different language paradigms to see which paradigm is most efficient in localizing frontal language areas. METHODS: Five men and five women with no neurological deficits participated (mean age, 24 years) in this study. All volunteers were right-handed. Each subject performed 4 tasks, including fixation (Fix), sentence reading (SR), pseudoword reading (PR), and word generation (WG). Fixation and pseudoword reading were used as contrasts. The functional area was defined as the area(s) with a t-value of more than 3.92 in fMRI with different tasks. To apply an anatomical constraint, we used a brain atlas mapping system, which is available in AFNI, to define the anatomical frontal language area. The numbers of voxels in overlapped area between anatomical and functional area were individually counted in the frontal expressive language area. RESULTS: Of the various combinations, the word generation task was most effective in delineating the frontal expressive language area when fixation was used as a contrast (p<0.05). The sensitivity of this test for localizing Broca's area was 81% and specificity was 70%. CONCLUSION: Word generation versus fixation could effectively and reliably delineate the frontal language area. A customized effective paradigm should be analyzed in order to evaluate various language functions.
Brain ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVES: As HIV/AIDS is becoming a chronic disease, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) among people living with HIV/AIDS is rising. Anxiety and depression, which are common among people living with HIV/AIDS, have been linked with CVD. This study investigated the risk of CVD in people living with HIV/AIDS and explored the effects of depression and anxiety on CVD risk. METHODS: Data were collected for 457 people enrolled in the Korea Cohort HIV/AIDS study after 2010. Framingham risk scores were calculated to quantify the 10-year risk of developing CVD. Depression and anxiety variables were re-coded as a single combined variable. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed, adjusting for age, body mass index, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), duration of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positivity after entry into the cohort, and depression/anxiety. RESULTS: Participants with both depression and anxiety were 2.28 times more likely than those with neither depression nor anxiety to have moderate/high-risk CVD risk. The 10-year risk of developing CVD was affected by LDL cholesterol, TG, age, and duration of HIV infection. LDL cholesterol and TG levels change according to the duration of HIV infection, and metabolic disorders affect the risk of CVD. Thus, a longer duration of HIV infection is associated with a higher risk of developing CVD. CONCLUSIONS Screenings for depression and anxiety need to be provided regularly to assess the severity of those symptoms. To help decrease their risk of developing CVD, people living with HIV/AIDS should be offered behavioral modification interventions aimed at developing healthy lifestyle habits.

OBJECTIVES: As HIV/AIDS is becoming a chronic disease, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) among people living with HIV/AIDS is rising. Anxiety and depression, which are common among people living with HIV/AIDS, have been linked with CVD. This study investigated the risk of CVD in people living with HIV/AIDS and explored the effects of depression and anxiety on CVD risk. METHODS: Data were collected for 457 people enrolled in the Korea Cohort HIV/AIDS study after 2010. Framingham risk scores were calculated to quantify the 10-year risk of developing CVD. Depression and anxiety variables were re-coded as a single combined variable. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed, adjusting for age, body mass index, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), duration of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positivity after entry into the cohort, and depression/anxiety. RESULTS: Participants with both depression and anxiety were 2.28 times more likely than those with neither depression nor anxiety to have moderate/high-risk CVD risk. The 10-year risk of developing CVD was affected by LDL cholesterol, TG, age, and duration of HIV infection. LDL cholesterol and TG levels change according to the duration of HIV infection, and metabolic disorders affect the risk of CVD. Thus, a longer duration of HIV infection is associated with a higher risk of developing CVD. CONCLUSIONS Screenings for depression and anxiety need to be provided regularly to assess the severity of those symptoms. To help decrease their risk of developing CVD, people living with HIV/AIDS should be offered behavioral modification interventions aimed at developing healthy lifestyle habits.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Life-threatening hypotension during percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) is devastating for the patient and is associated with fatal adverse outcomes. The aim of our study was to assess the usefulness of intracoronary epinephrine in severe hypotension unresponsive to other measures during PCI. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We analyzed the Pusan National University Yangsan hospital cardiac catheterization laboratory database to identify patients who underwent PCI from December 2008 to July 2012. The outcomes were changes of blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) before and after intracoronary epinephrine and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients who were initially stable and received intracoronary epinephrine for severe hypotension during PCI were included. Following administration of intracoronary epinephrine (dose 181+/-24.8 microgram), systolic and diastolic BP (from 53.8+/-13.0 mm Hg up to 112.8+/-21.2 mm Hg, from 35+/-7.6 mm Hg up to 70.6+/-12.7 mm Hg, respectively) and HR (from 39.4+/-5.1 beats/min up to 96.8+/-29.3 beats/min) were increased. Additionally, 21 patients (70%) showed hemodynamically acceptable responses to intracoronary epinephrine without the intraaortic balloon pump and temporary pacemaker during the PCI. In-hospital mortality was 17% (n=5). CONCLUSION: Although our study was small, intracoronary epinephrine was found to be well tolerated and resulted in prompt and successful recovery from severe hypotension in most patients when other measures were ineffective. Intracoronary epinephrine could be a safe and useful measure in patients developing severe hypotension during PCI.
Blood Pressure ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Coronary Vessels ; Epinephrine* ; Heart Rate ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Hypotension* ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention*

Aortic coarctation is usually diagnosed and repaired in childhood and early adulthood. Survival of a patient with an uncorrected coarctation to more than 70 years of age is extremely unusual, and management strategies for these cases remain controversial. We present a case of a 75-year-old woman who was first diagnosed with aortic coarctation and severe aortic valve stenosis 5 years ago and who underwent a successful one-stage repair involving valve replacement and insertion of an extra-anatomical bypass graft from the ascending to the descending aorta.
Aged ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Aortic Coarctation ; Aortic Valve Stenosis ; Female ; Humans ; Thoracic Surgical Procedures ; Transplants