No abstract available.
Korea* ; Tic Disorders* ; Tics*

Background Cutaneous tuberculosis (TB) is a form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Diagnosis of cutaneous TB is often difficult because of the diverse clinical presentations. The positive yields from cultures are often low. To describe the demographic, clinical, histopathological and bacteriological aspects of cutaneous TB. Materials and Methods This retrospective review looked at cases of cutaneous tuberculosis treated at the Respiratory and Dermatology unit, Penang Hospital from 1996 to 2007. Data were analysed with SPSS 13.0 version. Results A total of 23 cases of cutaneous tuberculosis were reviewed. The male to female ratio was 2.3 to 1. The mean age was 37.7 ± 20.7 years. There were 10 Malays, 9 Chinese, 2 Indians and 2 Indonesian. The types of cutaneous tuberculosis observed were lupus vulgaris (47.8%), tuberculides (17.5%), tuberculosis verrucosa cutis (13.0%), scrofuloderma (13.0%) and primary inoculation TB (8.7%). 43.5% of patients had systemic involvement. Mantoux tests were positive in 85.0% of cases. Skin biopsies were performed in 91.3% of patients and 71.4% of them showed classical histopathologic findings suggestive of tuberculosis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated in the culture from 28.6% of patients. Localized diseases were found more often in BCG-vaccinated individuals. Regional lymphadenopathy was noted more often in patients with disseminated disease. No correlation was found between Mantoux reactivity and the extent of disease. Conclusion Lupus vulgaris was the commonest form of cutaneous tuberculosis. Cultures were positive in only a small proportion of patients. Almost half of our patients had systemic involvement. The presence of regional lymphadenopathy often indicates disseminated disease. Patients without BCG vaccination were at higher risk of disease dissemination.

Apoptosis is a tightly regulated, cell deletion process that plays an important role in various cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction, reperfusion injury, and heart failure. Since cardiomyocyte loss is the most important determinant of patient morbidity and mortality, fully understanding the regulatory mechanisms of apoptotic signaling is crucial. In fact, the inhibition of cardiac apoptosis holds promise as an effective therapeutic strategy for cardiovascular diseases. Caspase, a critical enzyme in the induction and execution of apoptosis, has been the main potential target for achieving anti-apoptotic therapy. Studies suggest, however, that a caspase-independent pathway may also play an important role in cardiac apoptosis, although the mechanism and potential significance of caspase-independent apoptosis in the heart remain poorly understood. Herein we discuss the role of apoptosis in various cardiovascular diseases, provide an update on current knowledge about the molecular mechanisms that govern apoptosis, and discuss the clinical implications of anti-apoptotic therapies.
Apoptosis ; Apoptosis Inducing Factor ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cell Death ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; Necrosis ; Reperfusion Injury

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to tap the influence of the childhood and adolescent family environment and biogenetic temperament/character on the filial piety profile, i.e., its behavioral and emotional aspects in Korean college students. METHODS: Ninety-eight college students(male=49, female=49, the main study group) in the Seoul Metropolitan area were selected using multi-stage(randomized) cluster procedures. Their parents(N=174) became the 'generation' comparison group. The Filial Piety Scale was used to evaluate the perception of filial piety, both in 13 individual items and in two factor-analytically- produced behavioral and emotional aspects of filial piety. The Family Environment Scale was used to evaluate the childhood and adolescent family environment. The Temperament and Character Inventory was used to assess biogenetic temperament and character of the study subjects. RESULTS: Parents of college students scored significantly higher on filial piety items of familial harmony, responsibility/obligation, sacrifice, compensation, neighborhood harmony, and family continuity than their offspring did. There were no significant differences between study subjects and their parents in perceiving their family environment. Childhood environment with high moralethical emphasis and high achievement orientation was significantly correlated with the behavioral aspect of filial piety whereas cohesive and expressive family environment was shown to be linked to the emotional aspect of filial piety. Regarding the biogenetic temperament/character-filial piety relationship, low self-directedness was positively correlated with behavioral aspect of filial piety while high cooperativeness was positively correlated with emotional aspect of filial piety. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports distinct patterns of relationship between childhood family environment and the filial piety profile and between biogenetic temperament/character and the filial piety profile in Korean college students.
Adolescent ; Compensation and Redress ; Humans ; Parents ; Residence Characteristics ; Seoul ; Temperament

A 18 year-old man presented with dyspnea and a swelling of the neck. On physical examination, maculopapular rashes were noted on the face and the whole body and crepitus was noted at the thorax and upper arms. His chest X-ray showed bilateral interstitial infiltrates of the lung, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema. On serologic examination, measles IgM was positive. Under the diagnosis of measles pneumonia, the patient was treated with oral ribavirin, which resulted in a complete resolution of the pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema, pneumonic infiltrate, and subjective symptoms of dyspnea and swelling of the neck in 7 days. Here we report this case with a brief review of the relevant literature.
Adolescent* ; Arm ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Exanthema ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Lung ; Measles* ; Mediastinal Emphysema* ; Neck ; Physical Examination ; Pneumonia* ; Ribavirin ; Subcutaneous Emphysema* ; Thorax

Case-control studies are widely used for disease gene mapping using individual genotyping data. However, analyses of large samples are often impractical due to the expense of individual genotyping. The use of DNA pooling can significantly reduce the number of genotyping reactions required; hence reducing the cost of large-scale case-control association studies. Here, we discuss the design and analysis of DNA pooling genetic association studies.
Case-Control Studies* ; Chromosome Mapping ; DNA* ; Genetic Association Studies

Objectives To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus ointment 0.1% in adult and 0.03% in pediatric patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in Malaysia. Methods This is an open-labeled and single arm multi-center study. 36 adult and 37 pediatric patients were enrolled. Tacrolimus ointment is applied twice daily for four weeks. The primary efficacy outcome is based on the Physician’s Global Evaluation of Clinical Response (PG) at Week 4. The secondary efficacy outcomes are Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score, changes from baseline in individual scores of signs and symptoms and body surface area affected and Patients Assessment of Treatment Effects. Results Overall success rate were 97.1% and 91.2% in the adult and pediatric groups respectively. The decline in EASI, percentage of total BSA affected and patient’s assessment of pruritus were significant (P<0.001). Of adults and pediatric patients, 97.2% and 75.7% respectively reported adverse effect. The most common adverse effect reported was skin burning sensation in 91.7% adult patients and pruritus in 67.6% pediatric patients. Conclusion Tacrolimus ointment 0.1% in adult and 0.03% in pediatric patients is effective for the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in Malaysia.

Interferon-gamma (IFNG) is a pleiotropic cytokine that modulates both innate and adaptive immune networks; it is the most potent activator of macrophages and a signature cytokine of activated T lymphocytes. Though IFNG is now appreciated to have a multitude of roles in immune modulation and broad-spectrum pathogen defense, it was originally discovered, and named, as a secretory factor that interferes with viral replication. In contrast to the prototypical type I interferons produced by any cells upon viral infection, only specific subsets of immune cells can produce IFNG upon infection or stimulation with antigen or mitogen. Still, virtually all cells can respond to both types of interferons. This makes IFNG a versatile anti-microbial cytokine and also gives it a unique position in the antiviral defense system. The goal of this review is to highlight the direct antiviral mechanisms of IFNG, thereby clarifying its antiviral function in the effective control of viral infections.
Antiviral Agents ; Defense Mechanisms ; Interferon Type I ; Interferon-gamma* ; Interferons ; Macrophages ; T-Lymphocytes

Despite the advances in research and treatment of human breast cancer, its incidence rate continues to increase by 0.5% per year, and the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies for specific subtypes of human breast cancer remains challenging. Traditional laboratory mouse models have contributed tremendously to human breast cancer research. However, mice do not develop tumors spontaneously; consequently, genetically engineered mouse models or patient-derived xenograft models are often relied upon for more sophisticated human breast cancer studies. Since human breast cancer develops spontaneously, there is a need for alternative, yet complementary, models that can better recapitulate the features of human breast cancer to better understand the molecular and clinical complexities of the disease in developing new therapeutic strategies. Canine mammary tumors are one such alternative model that share features with human breast cancer, including prevalence rate, subtype classification, treatment, and mutational profiles, all of which are described in this review.

OBJECTIVES: Suicide is one of the most common causes of deaths in correctional institutions. This study aimed to examine the characteristics of suicide attempts and its related psycho-social factors in correctional institutions. METHODS: This study examined the characteristics of 101 suicide attempts from 2006 to 2007 in the two regional correctional headquarters. Thirty-seven male inmates (43 suicide attempts) and 40 matched controls were included in interviews and reviews of personal records. Psychiatric illnesses were examined using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV and medical outcomes of their suicide attempts with the Lethality Scale of Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies. RESULTS: Over a half of suicide attempts occurred in solitary cells and the most common method was hanging. Medically, 70% of the suicide attempts were more than severe. Poor social support, a lifetime history of suicide attempts, and incarceration were associated with suicide attempts. Additionally, psychiatric illnesses were more likely to increase the risk of suicide. CONCLUSION: This study implies that mental health issues and monitoring systems are important to reduce suicides in the correctional system. Regular checks and management of suicide risk and mental illness are crucial to prevent suicide in correctional institutions.
Cause of Death ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Male ; Mental Health ; Risk Factors ; Suicide