No abstract available.
Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach* ; T-Lymphocytes*

No effective therapy has yet developed for liver fibrosis/cirrhosis by directly inhibiting the accumulation of extracellular matrix. This study was undertaken to determine the effect of tetrandrine in rat model of liver fibrosis induced by carborn tetrachloride (CCl4) administration intraorally. Tetrandrine, a calcium channel blocker, is anti-inflammatory constituent of the families Menispermaceae and Ranunculaceae, which have been used as folk remedies in China. Repeated administration of CCl4 for 14 weeks to rats induced liver fibrosis with steatosis. Rats were killed after 4, 8 or 14 weeks of treatment with CCl4, CCl4 tetrandrine (30 mg/kg) or CCl4 tetrandrine (50 mg/kg). The histopathological findings of liver were observed semi-quantitatively by light microscopy and volume percentage of the collagen deposition was determined by image analyzer. Tetrandrine inhibited collagen deposition induced by CCl4 administration, as shown by less severe steatosis and fibrosis and significantly decreased volume percentage of collagen fibers in CCl4 tetrandrine treated animals compared with CCl4 only group. Thus, the administration of tetrandrine holds great promise for treating subjects with liver fibrosis/cirrhosis as a result of chronic hepatic injury.
Animals ; Calcium Channels ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; China ; Collagen ; Extracellular Matrix* ; Fibrosis* ; Humans ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Medicine, Traditional ; Menispermaceae ; Microscopy ; Models, Animal ; Ranunculaceae ; Rats*

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous Mitral Valvuloplasty (PMV) is the first-line treatment modality in selected patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis and more recently available Inoue single-balloon catheter technique produces good results with low incidence of complications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immediate and over 6 months follow-up results after successful PMV with an Inoue balloon and to identify the predictive factors for the results. METHODS: From May 1995 to Feburary 1997, a PMV with an Inoue balloon was tech-nically successful in 114 (95%) of the 119 patients treated at the Sejong General Hostpital. In this study, a series of echocardiographic follow-up were performed in 54 patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis, at least 6 months after their successful PMV. In PMV, the inflation was conducted in steps, starting with a recommended maximum size of balloon by the Inoue criteria. After each inflation, the mitral valve opening and competence were evaluated by Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and continuing increase balloon size. RESULTS: Echocardiographic follow-up assessment was performed in 54 patients serially in a interval of 3 months or 6 months. Their mean age was 46+/-11 years (24 to 66 years) and the mean total echocardiographic score was 7.1+/-1.6. A optimal result was obtained in 95% of the cases (51/54). The post-PMV mitral valve area increased to 1.95+/-0.37 cm 2 and 1.79+/-0.28 cm 2 by 2-D and Doppler method, the average transmitral mean diastolic pressure gradient decreased to 5.16+/-2.8 mmHg and LA pressure was decreased to 11.28+/-8.2 mmHg. The newly developed and aggravated mitral regurgitation was observed in 17 patients (31.5%). The restenosis was noted in 2 cases (3.7%) after 1 year follow-up. The pre-procedural echocardiographic score for leaflet mobility, thickening and calcification was more higher in patients with restenosis. There was significant tendency of decrement in the mitral valve area in patients with a echocardiographic score=8 compared with those< or =8 over 6 months after the PMV. CONCLUSION: PMV with the Inoue balloon under TEE guide as a combined treatment modality of patient with symptomatic mitral stenosis is relatively safe and achieves good immediate and midterm follow-up results. The echocardiographic score is considered as useful predictor of midterm results and restenosis after PMV with Inoue balloon.
Blood Pressure ; Catheters ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflation, Economic ; Mental Competency ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Mitral Valve Stenosis

No abstract available.
Animals ; Embryonic Structures* ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Humans* ; Mice* ; Quality Control*

BACKGROUND: Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a relatively recently identified respiratory virus that induces respiratory symptoms similar to those of respiratory syncytial virus infection in children. The characteristics of hMPV-infected adults are unclear because few cases have been reported. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of hospitalized adult patients with a positive multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assay result from 2012 to 2016 at a single tertiary referral hospital in South Korea. We analyzed clinical characteristics of the enrolled patients and divided patients into an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) group and a non-ARDS group. RESULTS: In total, 110 adults were reviewed in this study. Their mean age was 61.4 years, and the majority (n = 105, 95.5%) had comorbidities or were immunocompromised. Most of the patients had pneumonia on chest X-ray (n = 88, 93.6%), 22 (20.0%) had ARDS, and 12 (10.9%) expired during hospitalization. The mortality rate for patients with ARDS was higher than that of the other patients (36.4% vs. 5.7%, P = 0.001). The risk factor for hMPV-associated ARDS was heart failure (odds ratio, 5.24; P = 0.044) and laboratory values were increased blood urea nitrogen and increased C-reactive protein. The acquisition site of infection was divided into community vs. nosocomial; 43 patients (39.1%) had a nosocomial infection. The risk factors for nosocomial infection were an immunocompromised state, malignancy and immunosuppressive treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that hMPV is one of the important respiratory pathogens important respiratory pathogen that causes pneumonia/ARDS in elderly, immunocompromised individuals and that it may be transmitted via the nosocomial route.
Adult* ; Aged ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; C-Reactive Protein ; Child ; Comorbidity ; Cross Infection ; Heart Failure ; Hospitalization ; Humans* ; Korea ; Metapneumovirus* ; Mortality* ; Pneumonia ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult* ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses ; Retrospective Studies* ; Risk Factors ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Thorax

Astrovirus is frequently associated with diarrhea in children. It can not be readily isolated by cell culture, and an electronmicroscope is usually used for detection of this agent. Recently in 1995 a combined method of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was designed for easier detection of astrovirus, which is based on the conserved sequence in 3'-end of genomes of the 7 known serotypes of human astrovirus. As of yet there has not been any report of astrovirus data in Korea using the RT-PCR methods. The purpose of this study was to detect astrovirus incidence, severity of symptoms, seasonal variation and coinfection rate with rotavirus in Korean children inpatients with diarrhea. Fecal specimens from 61 young children hospitalized with gasteroenteritis Korea from Jan. 1996 through Mar. 1997. They were examined for astroviurs infection by RT-PCR method. Results are as follows: 1. Astrovirus was detected at 9.8% (6/61) from fecal specimens of children with severe diarrhea by EIA using monoclonal antibody coated plates. 2. Astorvirus was detected at 29.5% (18/61) from fecal specimens of children with severe diarrhea by RT-PCR. 3. The age of the 18 children affected by astrovirus ranged from 2 monthes to 7 years with mean of 3.0 years. 4. Mean hospital stay of the 1S children was 6.1 days. 5. Five (27.8%) astrovirus RT-PCR positive strains were confirmed in November and in December, respectively out of 18 specimens in total. 6. Astrovirus coinfection with rotavirus type G1 was confirmed in 15/16 specimens (93.8%), and with type G2 was in 1/16 specimens (6.3%).
Cell Culture Techniques ; Child* ; Coinfection ; Conserved Sequence ; Diarrhea ; Feces* ; Genome ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Mamastrovirus ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Reverse Transcription* ; Rotavirus ; Seasons

Human rotavirus has now been established as the leading cause of gastroenteritis in young children worldwide. At least fourteen serotypes of group A rotavirus have been identified on the basis of antibody responses to major neutralizing glycoprotein, VP7 (G type for glycoprotein), present in the outer capsid of the virus. Serotype 1, 2, 3 and 4 are the most highly prevalent in human. In Korea, rotavirus is also the principal cause of severe nonbacterial diarrhea requiring hospitalization in infants and young children, which is commonly detected by EIA method. The epidemiology of rotavirus infection has been monitored by only serologic methods without electropherotyping in Korea. This study shows seasonal and age related variations .of rotavirus infection in Korea according to the genotype using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Fecal specimens were obtained from 39 children hospitalized with acute watery diarrhea and gastroenteritis in Ewha Womans University MokDong Hospital in Seoul from Jan. to Dec. of 1996. All four (1, 2, 3, 4) major G serotypes were identified by amplification of segment of the gene for VP7 using RT-PCR. Rotavirus Gl 749 bp, G2 653 bp, G3 374 bp and G4 583bp were shown on 2.9 or 3.3% NuSieve agar gel. Results were as follows: 1) Rotavirus was detected at 53.8% (21/39) by EIA and 89.7% (35/39) by RT-PCR. 2) Serotype Gl, G2, G3, G4 when detected by RT-PCR accounted for 80.0% (28/35), 14.3% (5/35), 2.9% (1/35) and 2.9% (1/35), respectively. 3) Thirty five strains of rotavirus were detected at the frequency of 17.1% (6/35) in Oct., 20.0% (7/35) in Nov. and 20.0% (7/35) in Dec. 4) As for the age range, children affected by rotavirus were mostly under 1 years.
Agar ; Antibody Formation ; Capsid ; Child ; Child, Hospitalized* ; Diarrhea* ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Gastroenteritis ; Genotype* ; Glycoproteins ; Hospitalization ; Humans* ; Infant ; Korea ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Reverse Transcription* ; Rotavirus Infections ; Rotavirus* ; Seasons ; Seoul

Vertigo mimicking labyrinthine lesions may have resulted from ischemic insult to the inner ear or the vestibular nerve and nucleus in the AICA infarction syndrome. A 56-year-old female was admitted to the emergency room with vertigo and hearing loss in right ear. On neurological examination, she had left beating jerky torsional and horizontal nystagmus with falling and past pointing to right side. Brain magnetic resonance images showed high signal intensity in anterolateral portion of inferior pons on T2- weighted images. Severe right facial palsy of peripheral type developed 24 hours after admission. Audiometry and electronystagmography documented absent auditory and vestibular function on the affected side. We argue that vertigo of the acute infarction in AICA territory can be involved the eight and seventh nerve root entry zoon and mimic labyrinthine lesions
Audiometry ; Brain ; Ear ; Ear, Inner ; Electronystagmography ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Facial Nerve* ; Facial Paralysis ; Female ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Middle Aged ; Neurologic Examination ; Nystagmus, Pathologic ; Pons ; Vertigo* ; Vestibular Nerve

No abstract available.
Fetal Death* ; Gastroschisis*

Objectives: This study was aimed to assess the usefulness of the quantitative assessment of clock drawing test (CDT) combined with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) compared to that of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) or the MMSE alone for screening of dementia in Parkinson disease (PD) in patients with a low educational level. Methods: A representative sample of 91 PD patients was administered MMSE, MoCA and CDT. The discriminative validity of the MMSE, MoCA, and a MMSE+CDT combination for dementia screening was determined by estimating the sensitivity and specificity of each test and by testing integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). Results: The mean age and educational years were 69.0 (years) and 7.3 in the study population. The best screening cut-off points for the MMSE, MoCA, and MMSE+CDT were 25/26, 21/22 and 41/42. In a group of patients with educational years ≤6,
Dementia