PURPOSE: Hepatoprotective effect of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) has been verified in numerous animal experiments but not so apparent in clinical trials. Although the reason for this discrepancy in clinical results is still unknown, one possible explanation is the instability of PGE1. In this study, the hepatoprotective effect of lipo-PGE1, which is known to be stable during pulmonary circulation and have more targeting effect, was investigated in canine partial liver allotansplantation. In order to reckon in the possible injury during harvest of partial liver, lipo-PGE1 was infused from the start of living graft harvest procedure. METHODS: Mongrel dogs weighing about 25 kg were divided into control (n=6) and lipo-PGE1 (n=6) group. Partial liver allotransplantation was performed. In lipo-PGE1 group, lipo-PGE1 was slowly infused through splenic venous cannulation during the donor liver harvesting procedure (50 mg) and continuously infused (60 mg/day) for 48 hrs after reperfusion. The aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were monitored. RESULTS: The AST and ALP levels of the lipo-PGE1 group were significantly lower than that of the control group at both 1 hour and 48 hours after reperfusion. The LDH level in lipo-PGE1 group was lower at 1 hour and 48 hours after reperfusion, but no significant differences were shown between two groups. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the hepatoprotective effect of the lipo-PGE1 against ischemia-reperfusion injury in canine partial liver allotransplantation.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Allografts* ; Alprostadil* ; Animal Experimentation ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Catheterization ; Dogs ; Humans ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Liver Transplantation ; Liver* ; Pulmonary Circulation ; Reperfusion ; Reperfusion Injury ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

Rhabdomyolysis is an acute disorder resulting from skeletal muscle injury in which intracellular contents are released into extracellular space and plasma. The condition may result from drug or alcohol overdose, infection, crush injuries, collagen disease, or intensive exercise. We report two cases of acute rhabdomyolysis resulting from CO poisoning and alcohol overdose, and discuss the MRI and ultrasonographic findings.
Collagen Diseases ; Extracellular Space ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Plasma ; Poisoning ; Rhabdomyolysis*

Blunt chest trauma may cause a variety of cardiac injuries, such as cardiac contusion, congestive heart failure due to myocardial injury or disruption of intracardiac structures, and more severely, instantaneous death. Traumatic rupture of the interventricular septum secondary to blunt chest trauma is extremely rare. Rupture of the interventricular septum may occur almost immediately after injury or many days later. The most common site of rupture is in the muscular portion of the septum near the apex. The exact mechanism of ventricular septal rupture in blunt trauma is unknown but it is thought to occur by external compression of the heart between the sternum and the vertebrae or as a result of extreme changes in intrathoracic pressure during sudden deceleration. We report an autopsy case of intraventricular septum rupture due to blunt chest trauma. A comatous 28-year-old male was admitted to emergency room after blunt chest trauma by unidentified object. He was treated with supportive care but expired two days later. The autopsy findings were as follows. The dead boy was slightly slender. External wound and patterned bruise were not present. In submentopubic incision, both pleural fluid (right 700ml, left 450ml) and ascites (400ml) were noted. The posterior wall of left ventricle showed hemorrhage measuring 1cm in diameter. On opening the heart, there was interventricular septum rupture measuring 3.5cm in length. Other cardiac structures were unremarkable. On light microscopic examination, endothelial cell was not seen in ruptured portion and both lung showed severe congestion and edema.
Adult ; Ascites ; Autopsy ; Contusions ; Deceleration ; Edema ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Endothelial Cells ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Heart Ventricles ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Rupture* ; Spine ; Sternum ; Thorax* ; Ventricular Septal Rupture ; Wounds and Injuries

Blunt chest trauma may cause a variety of cardiac injuries, such as cardiac contusion, congestive heart failure due to myocardial injury or disruption of intracardiac structures, and more severely, instantaneous death. Traumatic rupture of the interventricular septum secondary to blunt chest trauma is extremely rare. Rupture of the interventricular septum may occur almost immediately after injury or many days later. The most common site of rupture is in the muscular portion of the septum near the apex. The exact mechanism of ventricular septal rupture in blunt trauma is unknown but it is thought to occur by external compression of the heart between the sternum and the vertebrae or as a result of extreme changes in intrathoracic pressure during sudden deceleration. We report an autopsy case of intraventricular septum rupture due to blunt chest trauma. A comatous 28-year-old male was admitted to emergency room after blunt chest trauma by unidentified object. He was treated with supportive care but expired two days later. The autopsy findings were as follows. The dead boy was slightly slender. External wound and patterned bruise were not present. In submentopubic incision, both pleural fluid (right 700ml, left 450ml) and ascites (400ml) were noted. The posterior wall of left ventricle showed hemorrhage measuring 1cm in diameter. On opening the heart, there was interventricular septum rupture measuring 3.5cm in length. Other cardiac structures were unremarkable. On light microscopic examination, endothelial cell was not seen in ruptured portion and both lung showed severe congestion and edema.
Adult ; Ascites ; Autopsy ; Contusions ; Deceleration ; Edema ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Endothelial Cells ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Heart Ventricles ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Rupture* ; Spine ; Sternum ; Thorax* ; Ventricular Septal Rupture ; Wounds and Injuries

Malignant transformation of mature cystic teratoma is rare and the vast majority are squamous cell carcinoma, but neuroblastomas are extremely rare. We report a case of neuroblastoma arising in a mature cystic teratoma of the retroperitoneum. In a 24-year-old woman with intermittent abdominal pain, sonogram and CT scan show a multiloculated cystic mass with calcification, fat, septum, and small solid component in the left retroperitoneal space. Complete surgical resection of the cystic mass was done and a small neuroblastoma in the septum of the cystic mass was incidentally detected at histopathologic examination.
Abdominal Pain ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Female ; Humans ; Neuroblastoma* ; Retroperitoneal Space ; Teratoma* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult

On October 4, 2018, an outbreak of gastroenteritis associated with sapovirus occurred among elementary school students in Gyeonggi-do, Korea. Epidemiologic studies were conducted in a retrospective cohort approach. Using self-administered questionnaires, we collected information on symptoms and food items consumed. Of the 999 subjects, 17 developed patients that met the case definition. The main symptom was vomiting (100%), and the symptomatic age was 6-12 years. Positive samples were identified by conventional reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for sequencing. They were classified into genotype GI.3 by phylogenetic analysis. This is the first report of an outbreak associated with sapovirus GI.3 in Korea.

PURPOSE: In living donor partial liver transplantation, the organ cold preservation time is relatively short, thereby, Euro-Collins (EC) solution could be used with comparable result to University of Wisconsin (UW) solution. METHODS: About 70% partial liver was harvested and reimplanted after 3.5 hours of cold preservation with EC or UW solution in same mongrel dog weighing about 25 kg. In 5 cases EC solutions were used, and UW solutions were used in another 5 cases. Blood sample and liver biopsy specimens were taken just before donor hepatectomy, postreperfusion 1 hour, 7 days and 14 days after operation. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were monitored, and morphologic grading of liver injury was performed as Spiegel et al. reported in 1999. RESULTS: Total ischemic time was 4 hours and 27 minutes in average. At 1 hour after reperfusion, there were no significant differences in liver enzyme and morphological score between the UW solution group and the EC group. Survival rate was similar in two groups; 2 dongs were alive at postoperative 7th day, and 1 dog was alive at postoperative 14th day in each group. CONCLUSION: In living donor partial liver transplantation where both operations could be performed simultaneously with relatively short graft preservation time, EC solution could be used with comparable results to UW solution.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Biopsy ; Dogs ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Liver Transplantation ; Liver* ; Living Donors ; Pathology* ; Reperfusion ; Survival Rate ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants ; Wisconsin

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous inflammation with an unknown cause. The commonly involved sites are the lymph nodes, lungs, skin, eyes, and heart. Although cardiac involvement in sarcoidosis is rarely detected clinically, it is reported in 20-50% of autopsied sarcoidosis patients. Cardiac involvement is one of the most severe conditions of sarcoidosis and may cause sudden death. We report a case of a sudden death due to a massive cardiac sarcoidosis in a 43-year-old man. The microscopic examination revealed an extensive noncaseating granulomatous inflammation in the mediastinal lymph nodes and the heart with no evidence of myocyte necrosis. A special stain and molecular study excluded the possibility of other causes such as fungi or mycobacterium. The authors concluded that the cause of death was attributed to arrhythmia due to a cardiac sarcoidosis with massive involvement of the conduction system.
Adult ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cause of Death ; Death, Sudden* ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; Fungi ; Heart ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Muscle Cells ; Mycobacterium ; Necrosis ; Sarcoidosis* ; Skin

The authors report a successful outcome after percutaneous transabdominal placement of a self-expandable metallic stent in a patient who had afferent loop syndrome caused by recurrent common bile duct adenocarcinoma. Enhanced abdominal CT showed marked dilation of the afferent loop adjacent to the anterior peritoneum, multiple hepatic metastases and lymph node metastasis around the choledochojejunal anastomosis site without marked dilation of intrahepatic bile ducts. Percutaneous drainage catheter was successfully placed to the dilated afferent loop just below the abdominal wall. Subsequent successful palliation of the afferent loop obstruction was achieved by placing a self-expandable metallic stent via the transabdominal route with the aid of cone-beam CT.

Purpose: Microbiota manipulation through selected probiotics may be a promising tool to prevent cancer development as well as onset, to improve clinical efficacy for cancer treatments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate change in microbiota composition after-probiotics supplementation and assessed the efficacy of probiotics in improving quality of life (QOL) in postoperative cancer patients. Methods: Stool samples were collected from 30 cancer patients from February to October 2020 before (group I) and after (group II) 8 weeks of probiotics supplementation. We performed 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing to evaluate differences in gut microbiota between groups by comparing gut microbiota diversity, overall composition, and taxonomic signature abundance. The health-related QOL was evaluated through the EORTC Quality of life Questionnaire Core 30 questionnaire. Results: Statistically significant differences were noted in group II; increase of Shannon and Simpson index (P = 0.004 and P = 0.001), decrease of Bacteroidetes and Fusobacteria at the phylum level (P = 0.032 and P = 0.014, retrospectively), increased of beneficial bacteria such as Weissella (0.096% vs. 0.361%, P < 0.004), Lactococcus (0.023% vs. 0.16%, P < 0.001), and Catenibacterium (0.0% vs. 0.005%, P < 0.042) at the genus level. There was a significant improvement in sleep disturbance (P = 0.039) in group II. Conclusion Gut microbiota in cancer patients can be manipulated by specific probiotic strains, result in an altered microbiota. Microbiota modulation by probiotics can be considered as part of a supplement that helps to increase gut microbiota diversity and improve QOL in cancer patients after surgery.