No abstract available.
Autografts* ; Heterografts* ; Transplants*

1. A study on chest radiographic findings of 54 cases with pneumonia like symptoms was performed. Of 54 cases,8 cases were confirmed to be leptospirosis and 7 cases were leptospirosis combined with Korean hemorrhagic fever.2. Of 8 cases of leptospirosis, 4 cases showed abnormal chest radiographic findings: acinar nodular type 2,massive cofluent consolidation type 2. Of 7 cases of leptospirosis combined with Korean hemorrhagic fever: acinarnodular type 3, massive confluent consolidation type1, and increased interstitial markings type 1 respectively. 3.It was considered to be difficult to diagnose the leptospirosis on chest radiographic findings alone, especiallythe case combined with Korean hemorrhagic fever.
Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Leptospirosis ; Pneumonia ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Thorax

No abstract available.
Humans ; Siblings* ; Thrombasthenia*

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of an energy restriction program on the weight loss and changes of the biochemical nutritional status for 35 obese women. The energy restriction program took place over a 3-week period that was devided into two parts. The first part consisted of 750-800kcal diet and the second part of 800-1000kcal. Subjects were provided a low energy formula and a menu for the recommended diet. Anthropometric and biochemical measurement before and after the energy restriction program were estimated. Mean weight loss was 3.0 kg, accordingly the obestiy rate was lowered from 40.2 to 34.4, BMI from 29.2 to 28.9 and fat weight from 23.3 kg to 21.0 kg(<0.01.<0.05). Waist circumference loss was most prominent(4.4%) compared to triceps(21% loss)and hip circumference(2.2%loss). Mean RBC count, hemoglobin and hematocrit were significantly lowered(<0.01) but they were in the normal range. Systolic blood pressure was significantly decreased from 124.1 mmHg to 113.1 mmHg . Mean SGOT and SGPT were lowered from 29.3u/L to 20.0u/L and from 28.7u/L to 16.6u/L, respectively. It seems that the 3 weeks of energy restriction program used in this study was effective in improving anthropometric measurements without producing deficiency of iron or other susceptible nutrients.
Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Blood Pressure ; Diet ; Female ; Hematocrit ; Hip ; Humans ; Iron ; Nutritional Status* ; Reference Values ; Waist Circumference ; Weight Loss*

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) controls cell growth and metabolism in response to nutrients, energy, and growth factors. Recent findings have placed the lysosome at the core of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) regulation by amino acids. Two parallel pathways, Rag GTPase-Ragulator and Vps34-phospholipase D1 (PLD1), regulate mTOR activation on the lysosome. This review describes the recent advances in understanding amino acid-induced mTOR signaling with a particular focus on the role of mTOR in insulin resistance.
Amino Acids ; Insulin Resistance* ; Insulin* ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Lysosomes ; Metabolism ; Sirolimus*

BACKGROUND: GH3 cells are a well characterized and widely used model used for the in vitro study of growth hormone (GH) secretion. Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) binds to receptors belonging to the family of G protein-coupled receptors, and secrets both GH & prolactin. Phospholipase D (PLD) is an enzyme that hydrolyses phosphatidylcholine to yield phosphatidic acid and choline, and plays important roles in cellular proliferation and hormonal secretion. To elucidate the pathway of the action of TRH in GH3 cells, we investigated the activities of PLC and PLD in GH3 cells treated with TRH or phorbor 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). METHODS: GH3 cells were labeled with [3H] myristate, followed by incubation of with 0.3% ethanol, prior to before the addition of the agonists. The total lipids were extracted from the harvested cells following treatment with the agonists. The PLD activity was assessed by measuring [3H] phosphatidylethanol from the [3H] phospholipid using thin layer chromatography. RESULTS: TRH (1 muM) stimulated the PLC activity by 44-fold over that of the control values. TRH (1 microM), mastoparan (5 muM), and PMA (500 muM) for 30 minutes increased PLD activity by 1.9, 1.5 and 2.2 fold, respectively, in comparison to the controls. The PLD activities after 15, 30, 60, 120 and 240 min treatments of TRH (1 microM) were 142%, 170%, 172%, 160% and 115%, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that TRH stimulates not only the PLC activity, but also the PLD activity in GH3 cells.
Cell Proliferation ; Choline ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Ethanol ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Myristic Acid ; Phosphatidic Acids ; Phosphatidylcholines ; Phospholipase D* ; Phospholipases* ; Prolactin ; Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone

PURPOSE: In order to suggest optimal anticancer drugs for patient-tailored chemotherapy, we developed a colorectal cancer (CRC)-liver metastasis patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDTX) model. METHODS: Tissue obtained from a patient with CRC-liver metastasis (F0) was transplanted in a nonobese female mouse with diabetic/severe combined immune deficiency (F1) and the tumor tissue was retransplanted into nude mice (F2). When tumor volumes reached ~500 mm³, the F2 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 4/group) of doxorubicin, cisplatin, docetaxel, and nontreated control groups. The tumor tissues were investigated using H&E staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assays, and immunohistochemistry. To determine where the mutant allele frequencies varied across the different passages, we isolated genomic DNA from the primary tumor, liver metastasis, and PDTX models (F1/F2). RESULTS: The physiological properties of the tumor were in accord with those of the patient's tumors. Anticancer drugs delayed tumor growth, inhibited proliferation, and caused apoptosis. Histological assessments revealed no observable heterogeneity among the intragenerational PDTX models. Target exon sequencing analysis without high-quality filter conditions revealed some genetic variations in the 83 cancer-related genes across the generations. However, when de novo mutations were defined as a total count of zero in F0 and ≥5 in F2, exactly prognostic impact of clone cancer profiling (EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, NRAS, APC and TP53) were detected in the paired. CONCLUSION: A CRC liver metastasis PDTX model was established for the evaluation of chemotherapeutic efficacy. This model retained the physiological characters of the patient tumors and potentially provides a powerful means of assessing chemotherapeutic efficacy.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Cisplatin ; Clone Cells ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; DNA ; DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy* ; Exons ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Variation ; Heterografts* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver* ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Population Characteristics ; Sequence Analysis ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

The mechanism of glucose transported (GT) expression on the plasma membranes of hepatoma cells in rats induced by 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene (3'-MeDAB) was studied. Cytochalasin B binding to plasma membrane fractions from control and 3'-MeDAB group in the absence of cold cytochalasin B showed 9,825 +/- 925 and 30,165 +/- 625 dpm/mg membrane protein. Scatchard plot analysis showed that the GTs present on the plasma membrane fractions in control and 3'-Me DAB groups were 5.0 and 16.0 pmol/mg membrane protein and their Kd values were 151 and 157 nM, respectively. These results suggest that the numbers of GTs in plasma membrane were increased in the 3'-Me DAB group compared to the control group. In contrast, the amounts of GTs in low density microsomal (LDM) fractions measured by a photoaffinity labeling technique using [3H]-cytochalasin B were 31,207 and 11,702 dpm/mg protein in the control and 3'-Me DAB group, respectively. These results suggest that GTs were translocated from LDM to plasma membranes during carcinogenesis. To confirm these results by an independent method 10% SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was carried out. Gel slice No. 13 corresponding to MW of 45 kDa from plasma membrane fractions showed increased radioactivities in the 3'-Me DAB group compared to the control group. However, LDM fractions of the 3'-Me DAB group showed decreased radioactivities compared to the control group. Western blot analysis using anti-human RBC GT antibody present in the plasma membranes and LDM fractions from control and 3'-Me DAB groups did not show any significant difference, indicating low cross-reactivity between them. These results indicate that increased glucose transport seems to be more likely due to reciprocal redistribution of GTs between plasma membrane and LDM fractions.
Animal ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Membrane/chemistry ; Cytochalasin B/metabolism ; Glucose/*analysis ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/*metabolism ; Male ; Methyldimethylaminoazobenzene ; Microsomes, Liver/*chemistry ; Monosaccharide Transport Proteins/*analysis ; Rats ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PURPOSE: Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in childhood. The standard treatments are composed of tumor resection, irradiation and chemotherapy. In this study, we analysed the outcome of high risk medulloblastoma patients who were treated with surgical resection followed by craniospinal irradiation and chemotherapy utilizing cisplatin, vincristine, cyclophosphamide and etoposide. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of medical record of twenty-five patients with high risk medulloblastoma, treated from January 1998 to April 2004 in the Department of Pediatrics, Neurosurgery and Radiation Oncology at Asan Medical Center. RESULTS: The median age at diagnosis was 9 years and 10 month. The 2-year overall survival rate was 80%, and 2-year progression-free survival rate was 71%. Degree of surgical resections or residual tumor did not show statistically significant differences of survival rate, but there was difference depending on metastasis staging. The side effects of chemotherapy were grade IV hematologic toxicity (n=20), SIADH (n=2), and severe paralytic ileus (n=1). The long-term sequelae were endocrinopathy (n=6) that include growth failure, precocious puberty and hypothyroidism. Neurological complications such as mild mental retardation and ataxia occurred in seven patients. There was no treatment-related mortality. Four patients died of tumor progression. CONCLUSION: Patients with high risk medulloblastoma treated with surgical resection followed by radiation and chemotherapy as described here show satisfactory outcome. In this high risk group, metastasis staging correlated with outcome but the degree of surgical resection and presence or absence of residual tumor at primary site did not correlate with outcome.
Ataxia ; Brain Neoplasms ; Child ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Cisplatin ; Craniospinal Irradiation ; Cyclophosphamide ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Etoposide ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Inappropriate ADH Syndrome ; Intellectual Disability ; Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction ; Medical Records ; Medulloblastoma* ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Neurosurgery ; Pediatrics ; Puberty, Precocious ; Radiation Oncology ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Vincristine

BACKGROUND: It has been well known that bronchial asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disorder. Recently, sputum specimen induced with hypertonic saline was introduced as a simple and useful noninvasive medium to investigate airway inflammation and symptom severity in patients with asthma. We examined the eosinophil, cationic protein (ECP), interleukin(IL)-3, IL-5, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and nitric oxide (NO) derivatives in induced sputum from patients with bronchial asthma in order to determine the role of NO and various inflammatory cytokines as a useful markers of airway inflammation of changes in pulmonary function tests and symptoms. METHODS: A total 30 patients with bronchial asthma received oral prednisolone 30 mg daily for 2 weeks. Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV), total blood eosinophil count, and induced sputum eosinophil count, ECP, IL-3, IL-5, GM-CSF, and NO derivatives were determined before and after the administration of prednisolone. RESULTS: Of the 30 patients, 13 (43.3%) were male and 17 (56.7%) were female. The mean age of patients was 41.8 years (range 19-64 years). Two patients could not produce sputum at the second study and 3 could not be followed up after their first visit. Two weeks after the prednisolone administration, there was a significant increase in FEV1 (% of predicted value) from 78.1±20.6% to 90.3±18.3% (P<0.001). The eosinophil percentages in induced sputum were significantly decreased after treatment with prednisolone, with values of 56.1±27.2% versus 29.6±21.3% (P<0.001), and ECP were 134.5±68.1 µm/L versus 41.5±42.4 µm/L (P<0.001) respectively. After the prednisolone treatments, the eotaxin concentration also showed a decreasing tendency from 26.7±12.8 pg/ml to 21.7±8.7 pg/ml. There was a decreasing tendency but no significant differences in total blood eosinophil count(425.7±265.9 vs 287.7±294.7) and in the concentration of NO derivatives (70.4±44.6 µmol%/L vs 91.548.3 µmol/L) after the predinisolone treatments. IL-3, IL-5, GM-CSF were undetectable in the sputum of most subjects either before the prednisolone treatments of after the treatments. Before the prednisolone treatments, a significant inverse correlation was observed between FEV1 and sputum ECP (r=-0.364, P<0.05) and there was a significant correlation between sputum eosinophils and eotaxin (r=0.369, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The eotaxin and ECP concentration in induced sputum may be used as markers of airway inflammation after treatments in bronchial asthma. In addition, the measurement of sputum eosinophil percentages is believed to be a simple method displaying the degree of airway inflammation and airway obstruction before and after the predinisolone treatment in bronchial asthma. However, unlike exhaled NO, the examination of NO derivatives with Griess reaction in induced sputum is considered an ineffective marker of changing airway inflammation and obstructing symptoms.
Airway Obstruction ; Asthma* ; Cytokines ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-3 ; Interleukin-5 ; Male ; Nitric Oxide* ; Prednisolone ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Sputum*