Background: Contact between the human pulmonary system and bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens can induce airway diseases. Although pathogen-induced mucus oversecretion and hyperproduction are frequently observed in the human respiratory tract, the molecular mechanisms of pathogen-induced mucus hypersecretion and overproduction remain unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the physiological signaling mechanism of ATP-induced MUC8 gene expression in human airway epithelial cells. Methods: Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, a cytokine array, and a Ca2+ concentration assay were performed to investigate the ATP/P2Y2-induced MUC8 gene expression levels in human airway epithelial cells. Results: The ATP/P2Y2 complex robustly secreted interleukin (IL)-6 in a time-dependent manner, whereas siRNA-P2Y2 did not. Moreover, ATP/P2Y2 induced MUC8 gene expression. IL-6 secreted by ATP strongly elevated ATP/P2Y2-induced MUC8 gene expression compared to ATP/P2Y2. Interestingly, a specific STAT3 inhibitor, 5,15-DPP, dramatically inhibited ATP/P2Y2/IL-6-induced STAT3 phosphorylation and resulted in an approximately 5-fold decrease in MUC8 gene expression. Conclusions We showed that IL-6-activated STAT6 is essential for ATP/P2Y2-induced MUC8 gene expression as part of inflammatory signaling by cytokines during airway inflammation. Our results provide a new molecular understanding of the signaling mechanism of MUC8 gene expression during airway inflammation.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the jumper's knee for the symptoms and diagnostics by MRI and ultrasonography in basket ball players. METHOD: Twenty knees of 10 basketball players with chronic knee pain were assessed by the history taking, physical examination and diagnosis by magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography. Their average age was 17.4 years. Stanish classification is used for grading the symptoms of jumper's knee. RESULTS: Nine proximal patellar tendons were diagnosed as jumper's knees (45%) and 11 distal tendons were diagnosed as jumper's knees (55%). In ultrasonographic findings, average proximal patellar tendon thickness was 4.5 mm+/-1.2 mm, and distal patella tendon thickness was 7.1+/-1.1 mm. Sensitivity was 63% (12/19) and specificity was rated as 100% (21/21). By the MRI findings, sensitivity was rated as 32% (6/19) and specificity was rated as 90% (16/21). Study between the patient's clinical severity level by Stanish classification and thickness of patellar tendon showed no significant correlation (<0.5). CONCLUSION: The ultrasonography to be more convenient and easier as a diagnostic method for the jumper's knee than MRI.
Basketball ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Knee* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Patellar Ligament ; Physical Examination ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tendons ; Ultrasonography*

Congenital unilateral pulmonary vein atresia is a very rare cardiac malformation. In this case, the patient was brought to the hospital for recurrent upper respiratory infection without exertional dyspnea or hemoptysis, and cardiac murmurs were heard on physical examination. The volume of affected lung was lost on simple chest x-ray. Lung perfusion scan revealed no visualization of affected lung. Cardiac catheterization revealed mild pulmonary artery hypertension. Pulmonary angiography showed a small right pulmonary artery, stasis of contrast material and venous phase revealed nonvisualization of draining right pulmonary veins. In this case, the patient did not undergo any surgical treatment for no symptoms other than recurrent upper respiratory infection were reported. We report a case of congenital right pulmonary vein atresia.
Angiography ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Dyspnea ; Heart Murmurs ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Lung ; Perfusion ; Physical Examination ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Veins* ; Thorax

PURPOSE: To investigate whether the result of RigiScan after intracorporeal injection could predict the result of duplex ultrasonography, and determine the necessity of duplex ultrasonography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed both RigiScan and duplex ultrasonography after intracorporeal injection in 18 men with erectile dysfunction. All of the patients were evaluated by history taking, physical examination, laboratory test, hormonal tests, and neurologic examination before RigiScan and duplex ultrasonography. We measured maximal arterial diameter, peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity using a 7 MHz. color Doppler unit and these results of duplex ultrasonography were compared with penile rigidity and tumescence measured by RigiScan. RESULTS: The positive and negative predictive value of RigiScan were 81.8% and 85.7%, respectively. The result of RigiScan was comparable with that of duplex ultrasonography and the accuracy of RigiScan was resonable. CONCLUSIONS: According to this results, duplex ultrasonography was needed if the response of RigiScan is abnormal after intracorporeal injection. However, duplex ultrasonography can be ommitted if the response of RigiScan is normal after intracorporeal injection.
Erectile Dysfunction ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening* ; Neurologic Examination ; Physical Examination ; Ultrasonography*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common cancer in human body. Squamous cell cancer (SCC) accounts for most of sinonasal cancers. Prediction of cancer development and induction of cell death are thought to account for the conquest of maxillary sinus cancer. Little is known about its biochemical mechanism(s) of cell death. Recently, human epidemiological and clinical intervention indicate that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and the cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor have chemopreventive activity against colorectal cancer. We examined what kind of NSAIDs induce death of maxillary sinus cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Human maxillary sinus cancer cells were treated with NSAIDs. The NSAIDs-induced cell death was measured by Flow cytometry (FACS). To know whether sulindac sulfide-induced cell death is apoptosis or necrosis, we carried out Western blot analysis using anti-poly ADP-ribosyl polymerase (PARP) IgG and caspase 3 assay. We also measured cell survival rate using general caspases inhibitor, Z-VAD-fmk. RESULTS: Treatment of human maxillary sinus cancer cells with sulindac sulfide resulted in a dose-dependent cell death, and induction of apoptosis. General caspases inhibitor, Z-VAD-fmk potentiated the apoptosis inhibitory effect of sulindac sulfide. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the inhibition of caspases is responsible for a part of the induction of apoptosis by sulindac sulfide. Inhibition of caspase 3 activity may, therefore, be a useful biochemical target for the development of chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic drugs for maxillary sinus cancer.
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Apoptosis* ; Blotting, Western ; Caspase 3 ; Caspases ; Cell Death ; Cell Survival ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Flow Cytometry ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Human Body ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Maxillary Sinus Neoplasms ; Necrosis ; Neoplasms, Squamous Cell ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Sulindac*

Desmoplastic cerebral astrocytoma of infancy is a massive cystic tumor, typically occurring in the cerebral hemisphere and a rare intracranial tumor that arises in subjects usually below the age of 18 months and shows a favorable prognosis. A 5.5-month-old boy was presented with a rapidly increasing head circumference and lethargy. A computerized tomography scan revealed a large, multicystic, partially enhancing right parieto-occipital mass with hydrocephalus. This patient was treated with a surgery and a firm plaque-like tumor along withmulticystic component was gross totally removed. The tumor mass was firmly attached to the dura and extended in fingerlike projections onto the cortical surface. The infant underwent no further therapy and has developed normally during 6 months after surgery. Desmoplastic cerebral astrocytoma of infancy is a rare intracranial tumor but recognition of this tumor should be appreciated because, despite its massive size and rapidly growing characterstics, this tumor often has a relatively benign clinical course.
Astrocytoma* ; Cerebrum ; Head ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infant ; Lethargy ; Male ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVE: Clinical features of pituitary hemorrhage vary from asymptomatic to catastrophic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factors related to severity of hemorrhage of pituitary adenoma. METHODS: Pituitary hemorrhage was noted in 32 of 88 patients who underwent operations between January 2000 and December 2007. Clinical status was classified into group I (no hemorrhage symptoms), II (mild to moderate symptoms without neurological deficit), and III (with neurological deficit), and was compared to radiological, pathological, and operative findings. All patients were operated by transsphenoidal approach, and hemorrhage-related symptoms were relieved. RESULTS: Groups I, II, and III comprised 15, 10 and 7 patients, respectively. In group I, hemorrhage volume was under 1 mL in 11 (73.3%), but, it was above 1 mL in 7 (70%) of group II and in all cases of group III. Hemorrhage stage based on MRI findings was chronic or subacute in 11 (73.3%) of group I, acute in 6 (60%) of group II, and acute or hyperacute in 6 (85.7%) of group III. Pathological examination revealed chronic-stage hematomas in 5 (50%) group II patients. Functioning adenomas were found in 5 (33.3%) group I patients but none in group II or III patients. Silent adenomas were found in 4 (26.7%), 8 (80%), and 3 (42.9%) in groups I, II, and III, respectively. CONCLUSION: Clinical features of pituitary hemorrhage may differ with the radiological and immunohistopathlogical findings. Persistent symptoms are related to the chronic stage of hematoma requiring surgery for symptom relief. Neurological deficits are caused by large amount of acute hemorrhage requiring emergency operation. Silent adenoma is related to the severity of pituitary hemorrhage.
Adenoma ; Emergencies ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Pituitary Neoplasms

Purpose: Prostate cancer (PCa) incidence is affected by aging phenomenon and performance of screening test. In United States, PCa incidence is affected by period effect of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation. However, no study has reported the effect of USPSTF recommendation or aging phenomenon on PCa incidence in South Korea. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate effects of age, period, and birth cohort on PCa incidence using age-period-cohort analysis. Materials and Methods: Annual report of cancer statistics between 2003 and 2013 from National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) in South Korea for the number of PCa patients and Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) data between 2003 and 2013 from national statistics in South Korea for the number of Korean male population were used. Age-period-cohort models were used to investigate effects of age, period, and birth cohort on PCa incidence. Results: Overall PCa incidence in South Korea was increased 8.8% in annual percentage (95% confidential interval, 6.5 to 11.2; p < 0.001). It showed an increasing pattern from 2003 to 2011 but a decreasing pattern from 2011 to 2013. Age increased the risk of PCa incidence. However, the speed of increase was slower with increasing age. PCa incidence was increased 1.4 times in 2008 compared to that in 2003 or 2013. Regarding cohort effect, the risk of PCa incidence started to increase from 1958 cohort. Conclusion PCa incidence was affected by period of specific year. There was a positive cohort effect on PCa incidence associated with age structural change.

The safety of ICSl as a novel procedure of assisted fertilization may be assessed by the health of the baby born. In order to evaluate the safety of ICSI, perinatal outcome and congenital anomaly of the babies born after ICSI were compared with those of babies born after IVF (control group). We analysed the clinical data from the obstetric and pediatric records, including the information obtained through telephone. The results are as follows; Mean gestaional age (+/-SEM) and birth weight in singleton pregnancy were 38.8+/-1.9 weeks and 3209.7+/-501.9gm in IVF group, 39.0+/-2.2 weeks and 3289.9+/-479.5gm in ICSI group, respectively. Mean gestational age and birth weight in twins were 36.8+/-2.1 weeks and 2512.8+/-468.0gm in IVF group, 36.5+/-2.8 weeks and 2492.7+/-537.1gm in ICSI group. In IVF group, perinatal mortality rates were 8.5 in singletons and 56.6 in twinst for the ICSI singletons and ICSI twins, the perinatal mortality rates were 11.6 and 49.0, respectively. The incidence of congenital malformations was 3.6% (8/224) in IVF group and 2.1% (4/188) in ICSI group, there was no statistical difference (p>0.05, Fisher's exact test). The incidence of major congenital anomalies was 0.9% (2/224; pulmonary artery hypoplasia, renal cystic dysplasia) in IVF group and 1.1% (2/188; holoprosencephaly, Cri du chat syndrome) in ICSI groups (p>0.05, Fisher's exact test). Similarly, there was no significant difference in incidence of minor congenital anormalies 2.7% (6/224) in IVF group and 1.1% (2/188) in ICSI group respectively (p>0.05, Fisher's exact test). In conclusion, there was no difference in the perinatal outcome and the incidence of congenital anomalies between the babies born after ICSI and those after conventional IVF.
Birth Weight ; Fertilization* ; Gestational Age ; Holoprosencephaly ; Humans ; Incidence ; Perinatal Mortality ; Pregnancy ; Pulmonary Artery ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic* ; Telephone ; Twins

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects of a stent coated with abciximab and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) in a porcine coronary overstretch restenosis model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 10 pigs were randomized into two groups (10 pigs, 10 coronaries in each group) in which the coronary arteries were stented with a dual-coated stent and a bare metal stent (control) by randomization. Stents were deployed with oversizing (stent/artery ratio 1.3 : 1) in the porcine coronary arteries, and histopathology was assessed 28 days after stenting. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the injury score between the two groups. In the neointima, the lymphohistiocyte count was significantly lower in dual-coat stent group compared with the control stent group (120+/-85 cells vs. 159+/-80 cells, p=0.048). There was no significant difference in the fibrin score between the two groups (0.16+/-0.34 in the dual-coated stent group vs. 0.25+/-0.48 in the control stent group, p=0.446). The neointima area was not significantly different between both groups (1.55+/-0.8 mm2 in dual-coated stent group vs. 1.40+/-0.86 mm2 in the control stent group, p=0.447). CONCLUSION: Although the dual-coated stent with abciximab and ALA showed no significant difference in inhibition of neointimal hyperplasia when compared with the bare metal stent, it was associated with a reduced inflammatory reaction when compared with the control stent in a porcine coronary restenosis model.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Antioxidants ; Coronary Restenosis ; Coronary Vessels ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Fibrin ; Hyperplasia ; Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments ; Neointima ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; Random Allocation ; Stents ; Swine ; Thioctic Acid