No abstract available.
Eczema, Dyshidrotic* ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome* ; Immunization, Passive* ; Immunoglobulins*

BACKGROUND: A few studies have revealed increased levels of certain cytokines in patients with ischemic stroke. Cytokine changes have not been studied in patients with transient ischemic attack(TIA). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the temporal profile of the inflammatory response in patients with vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) and to compare the inflammatory response between TIA and infarction through analyzing serum interleukin(IL)-6 and IL-10. METHODS: We serially measured the serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 in 14 patients with VBI, 12 patients with vertebrobasilar territoy infarction, and 21 patients with lacunar infarction at the timing of admission, at 1 day after symptom onset, and at 5 day after symptom onset. Cytokines were measured by sandwich ELISA method. RESULTS: The IL-6 level obtained at day 1 was significantly elevated compared with the normal control group in patients with TIA (p<0.05). The IL-6 level at day 1 was the highest in patients with VBI. The level of IL-10 in patients with VBI was significantly higher than normal group at all time points(p<0.05). The IL-10 level at the timing of admission was the highest in patients with VBI. But the serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 between VBI and vertebrobasilar territory and lacunar infarction groups did not show any differences. CONCLUSION: These findings show that pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in serum are elevated in patients with TIA. These results suggest that cytokine cascade occurs in TIA.
Cytokines ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Infarction ; Interleukin-10* ; Interleukin-6* ; Stroke ; Stroke, Lacunar ; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency*

BACKGROUND: A few studies have revealed increased levels of certain cytokines in patients with ischemic stroke. Cytokine changes have not been studied in patients with transient ischemic attack(TIA). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the temporal profile of the inflammatory response in patients with vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) and to compare the inflammatory response between TIA and infarction through analyzing serum interleukin(IL)-6 and IL-10. METHODS: We serially measured the serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 in 14 patients with VBI, 12 patients with vertebrobasilar territoy infarction, and 21 patients with lacunar infarction at the timing of admission, at 1 day after symptom onset, and at 5 day after symptom onset. Cytokines were measured by sandwich ELISA method. RESULTS: The IL-6 level obtained at day 1 was significantly elevated compared with the normal control group in patients with TIA (p<0.05). The IL-6 level at day 1 was the highest in patients with VBI. The level of IL-10 in patients with VBI was significantly higher than normal group at all time points(p<0.05). The IL-10 level at the timing of admission was the highest in patients with VBI. But the serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 between VBI and vertebrobasilar territory and lacunar infarction groups did not show any differences. CONCLUSION: These findings show that pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in serum are elevated in patients with TIA. These results suggest that cytokine cascade occurs in TIA.
Cytokines ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Infarction ; Interleukin-10* ; Interleukin-6* ; Stroke ; Stroke, Lacunar ; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency*

Adult-onset metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is very rare with a combination of cognitive and behavioral symptoms and peripheral polyneuropathy. A 47-year-old man was admitted due to memory impairment, gait disturbance, dysarthria and personality changes for a period of 3 years. The arylsulfatase A level in his leukocytes was decreased. A brain MRI showed bilateral symmetrical demyelination but nerve conduction velocities (NCV) were normal. We report a very rare case of adult-onset MLD with normal NCV.
Behavioral Symptoms ; Brain ; Cerebroside-Sulfatase ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Dysarthria ; Gait ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; Leukodystrophy, Metachromatic* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Memory ; Middle Aged ; Neural Conduction* ; Polyneuropathies

No abstract available.
Arteries* ; Humans ; Quadriplegia*

The sense of taste is generally regarded as less important compare with vision and hearing. However, gustatory disorder considerably diminish the pleasures of life. The causes of taste disorder are various, and can occur during different pharmacologic treatment. We report a case of reversible ageusia induced by clopidogrel medication.
Ageusia* ; Hearing ; Humans ; Taste Disorders

PURPOSE: To evaluate the cerebral hemodynamic changes during interictal period in patients with epilepsy, we investigated changes in cerebral blood flow velocities by transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD). METHODS: Blood flow velocities and pulsatility indecies were measured in both anterior cerebral arteries, middle cerebral arteries, posterior cerebral arteries, internal carotid arteries, and basilar artery using TCD in 21 patients with epilepsy and 21 age and sex matched normal adults. We also evaluated the effects of seizure type, seizure frequency, EEG findings, and anticonvulsant medication on cerebral blood flow velocities. RESULTS: The blood flow velocities of cerebral arteries were decreased in patients, but the pulsatility indecies weren't different. Cerebral blood flow velocities were influenced by seizure type, EEG findings, or anticonvulsant medication. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that cerebral blood flow velocities might be decreased during interictal period in patients with epilepsy, and suggests that TCD is an useful method for the investigation of the cerebral hemodynamic changes in epilepsy.
Adult ; Anterior Cerebral Artery ; Basilar Artery ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Cerebral Arteries ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Posterior Cerebral Artery ; Seizures ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial

PURPOSE: The cerebral inflammatory reactions accompanied with epilepsy could play a role in intervening the possible changes of cerebral molecular structure during or after seizure. This study was intended to examine how much proinflammatory cytokines like interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha are expressed in animal model with seizures of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and how their concentration in serum changes on the basis of phase, so that it could determine possible association between the development of epileptic seizures and the expression of cytokines. METHODS: Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats as experimental group had kainic acid (KA) administered intraperitonealy, and then, their behavioral patterns were monitored and recorded. In 4 and 24 hours after KA was administered, their bloods were taken respectively to determine the concentration of cytokines. The serum concentrations of IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha were measured by means of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The concentrations of IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha were compared with controls, and also the phased variations of their concentration were determined. RESULTS: All rats in experimental group revealed various behaviors and seizure reactions. The serum concentrations of IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha taken from rats in 4 and 24 hours after KA administration were more significantly increased than controls respectively (p<0.01). There was no significant variation in concentration of IL-1beta and IL-6 based on time phase, but there was significantly higher concentration of TNF-alpha in serum taken in 24 hours after KA administration than in 4 hours (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results show that seizure activity causes the elevation of proinflammatory cytokines and activates inflammatory reactions.
Animals ; Cytokines* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epilepsy ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe ; Interleukin-1beta* ; Interleukin-6* ; Interleukins ; Kainic Acid ; Models, Animal ; Molecular Structure ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seizures* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

BACKGROUND: Cardiac arrhythmias and other cardiac dysfunctions occur in relation with acute cerebral ischemia. This study was undertaken to evaluate the sequential changes of electrocardiogram and cardiac enzymes after acute ischemic stroke, and to evaluate the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias. METHODS: Forty-three patients with acute ischemic stroke were recruited for this study. Electrocardiogram and cardiac enzymes were checked at 1, 3, 5, 7, 15, and 30 days after onset. RESULTS: Heart rates were decreased acutely after ischemic stroke and showed maximal decrease at day 3 (p<0.05). Heart rates were more significantly decreased in the right-sided lesions than the left (p<0.05) and in the supratentorial lesions than the infratentorial (p<0.05). PR intervals and durations of QRS complex were prolonged at day 3 and 5 but were not significant. The prolongation of the QTc interval was found in 21 patients (48.8%) and sustained QTc prolongation at day 30 were seen in 16 patients. Compared with controls, patients showed significantly higher incidence of arrhythmias (p<0.01). Creatine phosphokinase-MB (CK-MB) was significantly increased at day 5 (p<0.01) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) was increased at day 7 (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the incidence of neurogenic cardiac abnormalities in acute ischemic stroke was higher than that of previous studies. Abnormalities peaked at days 3 and 5 were nearly similar to control levels at day 30. These periods of peak abnormalities coincided with those of increasing brain edema. Therefore, we postulate that cardiac autonomic controls are also influenced by acute brain edema. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(3):207~212, 2001)
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Brain Edema ; Brain Ischemia ; Cerebral Infarction ; Creatine ; Electrocardiography* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Incidence ; Oxidoreductases ; Stroke*

PURPOSE: To determine whether liver stiffness (LS) measured by magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) can predict the outcome of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 107 patients with Child-Pugh class A liver function who were treated with RFA for single HCC and who had undergone a gradient-echo MRE within 6 months before RFA were included. We evaluated the relationship between the LS values and the ablation volume, local tumor progression (LTP), and intrahepatic distant recurrence (IDR). We also constructed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to examine the role of LS in predicting liver function deterioration, which was defined as an increase of Child-Pugh score by one point or more at 1 year after RFA. RESULTS: There was no significant correlation between LS and ablation volume, and neither time to LTP nor IDR was associated with LS. Among the 66 patients who did not have recurrence 1 year after RFA, 5 patients (7.6%) developed liver function deterioration. A high LS value was significantly associated with development of liver function deterioration after RFA and the area under the ROC curve was 0.764 (95% CI 0.598-0.929, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: LS measured by MRE could not predict ablation volume and tumor recurrence. However, high LS values were significantly associated with development of liver function deterioration.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Catheter Ablation* ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques ; Humans ; Liver* ; Recurrence ; ROC Curve