Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is one of the most important bacteria in the formation of dental plaque and dental caries. S. mutans adheres to an acquired pellicle formed on the tooth surface, and aggregates with many oral bacteria. It initiates plaque formation by synthesizing glucan from sucrose, which is catalyzed by glucosyltransferases. Propolis is a resinous mixture produced by honeybees, by mixing saliva and beeswax with secretions gathered from wood sap and flower pollen. Bees prevent pathogenic invasions by coating the propolis to the outer and inner surface of the honeycomb. Propolis has traditionally been used for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, asthma and dermatitis. We investigated the inhibitory effects of propolis ethanol extract on biofilm formation and gene expression of S. mutans. The biofilm formation of S. mutans was determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and safranin staining. We observed that the extract of propolis had an inhibitory effect on the formation of S. mutans biofilms at concentrations higher than 0.2 mg/ml. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the gene expression of biofilm formation, such as gbpB, spaP, brpA, relA and vicR of S. mutans, was significantly decreased in a dose dependent manner. The ethanol extract of propolis showed concentration dependent growth inhibition of S. mutans, and significant inhibition of acid production at concentrations of 0.025, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2 mg/ml, compared to the control group. These results suggest that the ethanol extract of propolis inhibits gene expression related to biofilm formation in S. mutans
Asthma ; Bacteria ; Bees ; Biofilms* ; Dental Caries ; Dental Plaque ; Dermatitis ; Ethanol* ; Flowers ; Gene Expression ; Glucosyltransferases ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Pollen ; Propolis* ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Saliva ; Streptococcus mutans* ; Streptococcus* ; Sucrose ; Tooth ; Wood

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal symptoms are common in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in Korea appears to be increasing. Some studies have shown that T2DM is a risk factor for symptomatic GERD. However, this possibility is still debated, and the pathogenesis of GERD in T2DM is not yet fully understood. The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence and risk factors (including autonomic neuropathy) of GERD in patients with T2DM. METHODS: This cross-sectional case-control study enrolled T2DM patients (n=258) and healthy controls (n=184). All participants underwent physical examinations and laboratory tests. We evaluated medical records and long-term diabetes complications, including peripheral and autonomic neuropathy in patients with T2DM. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed in all patients. The Los Angeles (LA) classification was used to grade GERD. GERD was defined as LA grade A (or higher) or minimal change with GERD symptoms. GERD symptoms were examined using a frequency scale. Data were expressed as mean±standard error. Independent t-tests or chi-square tests were used to make comparisons between groups. RESULTS: The prevalence of GERD (32.6% vs. 35.9%, P=0.266) and GERD symptoms (58.8% vs. 59.2%, P=0.503) was not significantly different between T2DM patients and controls. We found no significant differences between T2DM patients with GERD and T2DM patients without GERD with respect to diabetic complications, including autonomic neuropathy, peripheral neuropathy, duration of DM, and glucose control. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of GERD in patients with T2DM showed no difference from that of controls. GERD was also not associated with peripheral and cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy, age, or duration of DM in patients with T2DM.
Case-Control Studies ; Classification ; Diabetes Complications ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Gastroesophageal Reflux* ; Glucose ; Humans ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Physical Examination ; Prevalence* ; Risk Factors*

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of anxiety disorders has been increasing in South Korea, with recent studies reporting anxiety disorders as the most common mental disorder among all South Korean females. Anxiety disorders, which are independent risk factors of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, are significantly correlated with productivity loss, high medical costs, impaired work performance, and frequent worker absence, and thus are potentially serious problems affecting the health of South Korean female workers. In previous studies, anxiety disorders were shown to have a significant correlation with occupational stress. This study seeks to examine the prevalence of anxiety symptoms as well as the relationship between occupational stress and anxiety symptoms among South Korean female manufacturing workers. METHODS: A structured self-reported questionnaire was administered to 1,141 female workers at an electrical appliance manufacturing plant. The questionnaire collected data on general characteristics, health behaviors, sleep quality, job characteristics (shift work, shift work schedule, and job tenure), occupational stress, and anxiety symptoms. Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, occupational stress with the Korean Occupational Stress Scale-Short Form (KOSS-SF), and anxiety symptoms with the Korean version of the Beck Anxiety Inventory. A chi square test was conducted to determine the distribution differences in anxiety symptoms based on general characteristics, health behaviors, job characteristics, and sleep quality. A linear-by-linear association test was used to determine the distribution differences between anxietysymptoms and the levels of occupational stress. Last, logistic regression analysis was used in order to determine the association between occupational stress and anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: The prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 15.2 %. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis that adjusted for sleep quality and general characteristics, a significantassociation was found for those with anxiety disorders; the odds ratios (OR) were significantly higher the greater the total KOSS-SF score (moderate-risk group OR=2.85, 95 % CI=1.79-4.56; high-risk group OR=5.34, 95 % CI=3.59-7.96). In addition, excluding insufficient job control, all other KOSS-SF subscales were significantly associated with anxiety symptoms, and a relatively high OR was seen in the high-risk group for job demand (OR=3.19, 95 % CI=2.27-4.49), job insecurity (OR=4.52, 95 % CI=2.86-7.13), and occupational culture (OR=4.52, 95 % CI=2.90-7.04). CONCLUSION: There was a significant association between anxiety symptoms and occupational stress stemming from the psychosocial work environment among these South Korean female manufacturing workers. Future longitudinal studies are needed to examine the association between the occupational stress caused by the psychosocial work environment and the incidence of anxiety disorders and anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, intervention programs that aim to address the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and improve the psychosocial work environment, especially for younger female manufacturing workers, are needed.
Anxiety Disorders ; Anxiety* ; Appointments and Schedules ; Efficiency ; Female* ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Longitudinal Studies ; Mental Disorders ; Odds Ratio ; Plants ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Suicidal Ideation ; Suicide

Herein we report the case of a 71-year-old woman who complained of fatigue and enlarged right axillary lymph nodes for 18 months. At her first visit, her chest X-ray showed diffuse nodular opacities in both lung fields. Initial excisional biopsy of the axillary lymph nodes showed granulomatous lesions and acid fast bacilli were seen on Ziehl-Neelsen staining. However, even after 15 months of anti-tuberculosis (TB) medication, her right axillary lymph nodes were enlarged. We re-performed an excisional biopsy of the nodes, which showed Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). A retrograde review of the biopsy before anti-tuberculous medication, revealed HL coexisting with TB. HL and TB cause difficulties in differential diagnosis due to similarities in clinical course, imaging procedures and histopathological analysis of the involved tissue. Therefore, it is important to consider the possibility of concurrent HL and TB when patients who undergo treatment for TB or chemotherapy for lymphoma complain of persistent systemic symptoms or enlarged lymph nodes.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fatigue ; Female ; Hodgkin Disease ; Humans ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphadenitis ; Lymphoma ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis

We report the case of a 68-year-old man with a stromal tumor of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP), which had metastasized to the lung. The patient complained of an enlarged mass in the anterior chest. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed a sternal abscess with multiple nodules in both lungs. A thoracoscopic lung biopsy of the nodules and incision/drainage of the sternal mass were performed simultaneously. CT of the pelvis revealed an enlarged prostate with irregular cystic lesions in the pelvis. Prostate biopsy was done and demonstrated hypercellular stroma with minimal cytological atypia, a distinct pattern of STUMP. The sternal abscess proved to be tuberculosis and the lung lesion was consistent with STUMP, which had spread from the prostate. However, to our knowledge, the tuberculous abscess might not be assoicated with STUMP in the lung. The patient refused surgical prostatectomy and was discharged with anti-tuberculosis medication. On one-year follow up, the patient had no evidence of disease progression.
Abscess ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Disease Progression ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pelvis ; Prostate ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Stromal Cells ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis

Malignant mesothelioma is the most common primary malignant tumor involving pleura, but its diagnosis is difficult to determine by pathology in addition to the fact that it is rare. We present an unusual case of malignant mesothelioma, which initially presented as large neck mass contrary to the more common presentation of a rind like growth along the pleura demonstrated on imaging and by pathologic findings.
Mesothelioma ; Neck ; Pleura

The germination rate and longevity of seeds of Gastrodia elata Blume have been observed for 48 weeks using Mycena osmundicola strain H-21, one of fungi stimulating seed germination. Storage condition of post-harvest seeds was observed in the different temperature ranges of -30degrees C, -5degrees C, 5degrees C and 30degrees C for 48 weeks. After storage period of 48 weeks, the germination rate of G. elata was 65.7% at 5degrees C and 71.6% at -5degrees C, respectively. Although the germination rate of G. elata was 77.3% for 11 weeks at 25degrees C, the germination rate had been decreased gradually to 49.3% at 13 weeks, 0.3% at 23 weeks and then 0% at 25 weeks. The germination rate was reached to the level of 10% for 2 weeks at -30degrees C and then decreased to 0%.
Fungi* ; Gastrodia* ; Germination* ; Longevity

An 81-year-old man underwent bronchoscopy to investigate the cause of his dyspnea symptoms. A benign natured mass was observed in the bronchus and was excised. The pathology examination revealed a fibroepithelial polyp. He has been asymptomatic since the simple bronchoscopic excision. A fibroepithelial polyp is a benign tumor with a mesodermal origin. It is commonly found in the skin, urogenital area and chest, but is extremely rare in the respiratory system. We report a case of a fibroepithelial polyp in the bronchus, which was treated with a bronchoscopic excision, with a brief review of the relevant literature.
Aged, 80 and over ; Bronchi ; Bronchoscopy ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Mesoderm ; Pathology ; Polyps* ; Respiratory System ; Skin ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Increasing coronary perfusion pressure by using a vasopressor is one of the important treatment strategies in pulmonary hypertension. In present study, we evaluated whether chronic pulmonary hypertension influences the effect of norepinephrine (NE) on right ventricular function and hemodynamic variables in patients with valvular heart disease. METHODS: Forty eight patients undergoing valve replacement surgery were divided into two groups according to pulmonary artery pressure, i.e., a control (n = 28) and a pulmonary hypertension group (n = 20). A thermodilution pulmonary artery catheter for continuous monitoring of cardiac output, right ventricular (RV) ejection fraction and RV volume was inserted before the induction of anesthesia. When systemic hypotension occurred following induction of anesthesia, norepinephrine was infused at rates of 0.03 and then 0.06microgram/kg/min for 10 minutes, respectively and hemodynamic variables were measured after anesthesia induction, and at the end point of each infusion rate. RESULTS: No significant differences occurred in systemic or pulmonary hemodynamic variables according to the infusion of norepinephrine between the two groups. And, no significant changes were observed in right ventricular performance according to the infusion of norepinephrine in two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Norepinephrine did not show different systemic or pulmonary hemodynamic effects in patients with or without chronic pulmonary hypertension. Norepinephrine did not increase the right ventricular ejection fractions or cardiac outputs of patients with chronic pulmonary hypertension.
Anesthesia ; Cardiac Output ; Catheters ; Heart Valve Diseases* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Hypotension ; Norepinephrine* ; Perfusion ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Stroke Volume ; Thermodilution ; Ventricular Function, Right*

PURPOSE: Individual gastric cancers demonstrate complicated genetic alterations. The PCR-based analysis of polymorphic microsatellite sequences on cancer-related chromosomes has been used to detect chromosomal loss and microsatellite instability. For the purpose of preoperative usage, we analyzed the correspondance rate of the microsatellite genotype between endoscopic biopsy and surgical specimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-three pairs of biopsy and surgical specimens were examined for loss of heterozygosity and microsatellite instability by using 40 microsatellite markers on eight chromosomes. Microsatellite alterations in tumor DNAs were classified into a high-risk group (baseline- level loss of heterozygosity: 1 chromosomal loss in diffuse type and high-level loss of heterozygosity: 4 or more chromosomal losses) and a low-risk group (microsatellite instability and low-level loss of heterozygosity: 2 or 3 chromosomal losses in diffuse type or 1~3 chromosomal losses in intestinal type) based on the extent of chromosomal loss and microsatellite instability. RESULTS: The chromosomal losses of the biopsy and the surgical specimens were found to be different in 21 of the 73 cases, 19 cases of which were categorized into a genotype group of similar extent. In 100 surgical specimens, the high-risk genotype group showed a high incidence of nodal involvement (19 of 23 cases: < or =5 cm; 23 of 24 cases: >5 cm) irrespective of tumor size while the incidence of nodal involvement for the low-risk genotype group depended on tumor size (5 of 26 cases: < or =5 cm; 18 of 27 cases: >5 cm). Extraserosal invasion was more frequent in large-sized tumor in both the high-risk genotype group (< or =5 cm: 12 of 23 cases; >5 cm: 23 of 24 cases) and the low-risk genotype group (< or =5 cm: 7 of 26 cases; >5 cm: 16 of 27 cases). The preoperative prediction of tumor invasion and nodal involvement based on tumor size and genotype corresponded closely to the pathologic tumor stage (ROC area>0.7). CONCLUSION: An endoscopic biopsy specimen of gastric cancer can be used to make a preoperative genetic diagnosis that accurately reflect the genotype of the corresponding surgical specimen.
Biopsy* ; Classification* ; Diagnosis ; DNA ; Genotype ; Incidence ; Loss of Heterozygosity ; Microsatellite Instability ; Microsatellite Repeats* ; Stomach Neoplasms*