BACKGROUND: Exofocal neuronal death in the substantia nigra (SN) is a well-known form of anterograde transsynaptic cell death. Exofocal neuronal death could theoretically also occur in the globus pallidus (GP) after striatal injury. CASE REPORT: Case 1. A 70-year-old woman visited the emergency room because of decreased mentality. On admission, blood-gas analysis indicated that her oxygen tension was 69.1 mm Hg. The caudate nucleus, putamen, and temporooccipital cortex on both sides of the brain exhibited high-intensity diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals. At 10 days after admission, new high-intensity signals had developed in the SN and GP on both sides. Case 2. A 48-year-old man visited the emergency room because of right-sided weakness. Lesions were noted in the left caudate nucleus and putamen. At 4 days after admission, newly developed high-intensity MRI signals were observed in the left SN and GP. CONCLUSIONS: Exofocal neuronal death can occur in the GP as well as in the SN; these findings need to be clearly distinguished from those of recurrent ischemic injuries, such as recurrent stroke.
Brain ; Caudate Nucleus ; Cell Death ; Emergencies ; Female ; Globus Pallidus ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neurons ; Oxygen ; Putamen ; Stroke ; Substantia Nigra

Raphanus sativus (Cruciferaceae), commonly known as radish is widely available throughout the world. From antiquity it has been used in folk medicine as a natural drug against many toxicants. The present study was designed to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of radish (Raphanus sativus) enzyme extract (REE) in vitro and in vivo test. The IC50 values of REE in human liver derived HepG2 cells was over 5,000 microg/ml in tested maximum concentration. The effect of REE to protect tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells was evaluated by MTT assay. REE showed their hepatoprotective activities on tacrine-induced cytotoxicity and the EC50 value was 1,250 microg/ml. Silymarin, an antihepatotoxic agent used as a positive control exhibited 59.7% hepatoprotective activitiy at 100 microg/ml. Moreover, we tested the effect of REE on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver toxicity in rats. REE at dose of 50 and 100 mg/kg and silymarin at dose of 50 mg/kg were orally administered to CCl4-treated rats. The results showed that REE and silymarin significantly reduced the elevated levels of serum enzyme markers induced by CCl4. The biochemical data were supported by evaluation with liver histopathology. These findings suggest that REE, can significantly diminish hepatic damage by toxic agent such as tacrine or CCl4.
Animals ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Liver ; Medicine, Traditional ; Raphanus ; Rats ; Silymarin ; Tacrine

A 29-year-old male patient was admitted due to his general weakness and poor oral intake for several months. He was diagnosed as having Crohn disease 16 years ago and total colectomy was performed 10 years ago. On the 3rd day after admission, gross hematuria and sudden hemoptysis combined with diffuse infiltration were noted on chest X-ray. His symptoms and the diffusely increased lung opacities improved with administering high-dose steroid therapy. Later, anti-GBM antibody was found to be positive on the laboratory findings. We report here on a rare case of Goodpsture syndrome combined with prolonged Crohn disease along with a review of literature.
Adult ; Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease* ; Colectomy ; Crohn Disease* ; Hematuria ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Thorax

OBJECTIVE: On-line hemodiafiltration (OL-HDF) is a method that combines diffusive and convective solute transport component. OL-HDF provides improved solute clearance for both low-and large molecular-weight uremic toxins by enhancing convective clearance through highly permeable membranes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of OL-HDF on oxidative stress and beta2-microglobulin (beta2-MG) in comparison with high-flux hemodialysis (HF-HD). METHODS: Twenty-one patients on thrice-weekly low-flux hemodialysis (LF-HD) for at least 6 months were studied. Every patient underwent OL-HDF and HF-HD for four weeks, respectively. There were 2 weeks of wash-out period in which patients were treated with LF-HD, between different treatment periods. Predialysis and postdialysis solute (creatinine, BUN, phosphate, beta2-MG) concentrations were measured in the serum. In addition, predialysis solute (MDA, TAC, hsCRP) concentrations were measured. RESULTS: The urea reduction ratio (64.2+/-14.5 vs. 60.1+/-11.2%), Kt/V (1.4+/-0.2 vs. 1.3+/-0.3), beta2-MG reduction ratio (53.8+/-9.7 vs. 44.3+/-8.7%) and beta2- MG clearance (120.7+/-33.4 vs. 92.7+/-17.6 mL/min) were significantly higher in patients treated with on- line HDF compared with those treated with HF-HD. After 4 weeks of treatment, predialysis serum MDA levels were significantly lower in patients treated with OL-HDF compared with those treated with HF-HD (1.04+/-0.26 vs. 1.19+/-0.25 umol/L). After 4 weeks of treatment with 2 different dialysis modes, predialysis serum beta2-MG (3.7+/-1.0 vs. 2.2+/-0.4 mg/ dL), MDA (1.19+/-0.21 vs. 1.04+/-0.26 umol/L), TAC (265.9+/-21.1 vs. 290.2+/-23.9 umol/L) and log hsCRP (0.07+/-0.51 vs. -0.23+/-0.62) levels were significantly improved compared to the baseline in OL-HDF patients. However, for HF-HD patients, only predialysis serum beta2-MG level at 4 weeks was significantly lower than baseline (3.8+/-1.0 vs. 2.5+/-0.4 mg/dL). CONCLUSION: This study shows that OL-HDF has been significant increase in oxidative stress and inflammatory marker removal compared to HF-HD.
C-Reactive Protein ; Dialysis ; Hemodiafiltration* ; Humans ; Malondialdehyde ; Membranes ; Oxidative Stress* ; Renal Dialysis* ; Urea

A case of fibroepithelial polyp on vulvoperineal area is described. Her age is 20 year old and the tumor measured 9 cm in its largest diameter and was connected to the left labium majus. This case is very unusual in that almost all reported vulvar fibroepithelial polyps are small and sessile, and should distinguish from malignant cancer. We have experienced an unusually large vulvoperineal mass that was surgically excised and histologically diagnosed as benign fibroepithelial polyp and present this case with a brief review of literature.
Humans ; Polyps* ; Young Adult

Pulmonary sequestration is a very rare congenital malformation in which a mass of pulmonary tissue is detached from the normal lung and receives its blood supply from a systemic artery. It may be clinically asymptomatic or it has a wide spectrum of various clinical manifestations. The clinical therapeutic approach is to resect the sequestered lobe to prevent frequent complication such as infection. The arterial embolization of feeding artery is a new technique and a less invasive treatment than conventional surgical removal. We have experienced a 17- year-old male with pulmonary sequestration whose complaints were pain in left lower chest. He was diagnosed by computed tomography and aortography and successfully treated with embolization of feeding artery. We report a case of pulmonary sequestration treated with arterial embolization instead of surgery.
Aortography ; Arteries ; Bronchopulmonary Sequestration* ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: The success of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation(allo-BMT) is affected by underlying disease relapse. Although mixed chimerism(MC) is not necessarily a poor prognostic factor, several groups have suggested that MC is associated with an increased risk of disease relapse. There is evidence that patients with MC benefit from additional immunotherapy if the treatment is started in minimal residual disease status(mixed chimerism status), not in frank hematological relapse. The purposes of this study are to evaluate 1) the risk for relapse or graft rejection in correlation to persistent MC status after allo-BMT, and 2) the possibility of preventing relapse by immune modulation treatments (withdrawal or rapid taper-off of post-transplant immuno-suppression, additional interferon treatment, or the administration of donor lymphocytes) in hematologic malignancies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Of 337 allogeneic donor-recipient pairs between March 1996 and August 1998, 12 patients who showed persistent or progressive MC and who received immune modulation treatments were evaluated. Twelve patients, median age 31 years(range 9 to 39 years), received an allo-BMT for: acute myelogenous leukemia(AML, n = 5), chronic myelogenous leukemia(CML, n = 4), acute lymphocytic leukemia(ALL, n = 3). Serial polymerase chain reaction(PCR) analysis of YNZ 22-, 33.6-minisatellites or Y chromosome-specific PCR analysis at short term intervals(pre- and post-transplant 1, 3, 6, 9, ... months) was performed. Once MC was detected, immune modulation treatments on the basis of increasing MC in an early phase of recurrence of underlying disease were started. RESULTS: Nine of 12 patients converted to complete chimerism(CC) (AML 5/5, CML 3/4, ALL 1/3). Four of 9 CC patients developed graft-versus-host disease(GVHD) grade < or = 2 during immune modulation. All were treated successfully with steroids. Three patients who were not converted to CC showed relapse of underlying diseases or graft failure. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that, in patients with hematologic malignancies after allo-BMT, persistent MC is associated with relapse of underlying diseases or graft failure. Furthermore, when patients receive early immune modulation treatment, MC can be changed to complete donor pattern chimerism and ultimately prevent relapse.
Adolescence ; Adult ; Bone Marrow Transplantation/immunology* ; Child ; Chimera ; Female ; Graft vs Host Disease/etiology* ; Histocompatibility Testing ; Human ; Leukemia/therapy* ; Leukemia/mortality ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Recurrence ; Transplantation, Homologous

No abstract available.
Leukemia*

Three hundred ninety potentially curative resections for an adenocarcinoma of the stomach were performed in the Surgical Department of Chonbuk National University Hospital between 1991 and 1995. Eighty-nine patients were over 65 years of age, and three hundred-one patients were under 65 years of age. Pre-operative risk factors were statistically common in the over 65-years-old group(p<0.0044). Among the risk factors, pulmonary dysfunction was the most common pre-operative risk factor in both age groups, but diabetes mellitus was statistically significant factor in the under 65-years-old group. The incidence of post-operative complications revealed no statistical difference between two groups, and diarrhea was the most common complication in both groups. The incidence of complications increased when the disease was in an advanced stage and we did an extended operation, including a gastrectomy and a lymphadenectomy, but there was no statistical difference between the two age groups. The 3-year survival rate was higher when we did a curative resection with a subtotal or a total gastrectomy with a D2 lymphadenectomy than when we did non-curative resection, but there was no statistical difference between the two age groups. Hence, a curative resection including a radical gastrectomy with a D2 lymphadenectomy, if it is indicated, is reasonable approach for improving the survival rate in patients with an adenocarcinoma of the stomach, even elderly patients over 65 years of age.
Adenocarcinoma ; Aged* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diarrhea ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Jeollabuk-do ; Lymph Node Excision ; Risk Factors ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate*

Primary pulmonary lymphoma (PPL) is an uncommon tumor, which constitutes 3-4% of all exuanodal lymphomas and 0.3-0.5% of all primary pulmonary malignant tumors. Low-grade B-cell lymphomas of bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) accounted for the majority of PPL. This BALT lymphomas are frequently asymptomatic and have an excellent prognosis and an indolent clinical course by contrast with T-cell type. Therefore, determination of the B- or T-immunophenotype of the tumor cells is known 13 be very important from a clinical aspect Recent advances in immunohistochemical techniques, cytogenetics, and molecular biology have allowed better definition of type, maturation and clonality of lymphoma cells and have made it possible to better understand the PPL. We experienced an asymptomatic 43-year-old man who was evaluated for infiltrates on both sides discovered incidentally after a routine chest roentgenogram. He was eventually diagnosed as low-grade B-cell lymphoma of BALT by immunohistochemical staining from specimens obtained by open lung biopsy. He was treated with combination chemotherapy. At follow up 12 months following initial diagnosis he remains in stable. We report this case, who showed a relatively favorable prognosis and indolent clinical course compatible with low-grade B-cell lymphoma.
Adult ; B-Lymphocytes* ; Biopsy ; Cytogenetics ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung ; Lymphoid Tissue* ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, B-Cell* ; Molecular Biology ; Prognosis ; T-Lymphocytes ; Thorax