This study was aimed to investigate the effect of Flos Carthami on the atherosclerosis in rabbit induced by cholesterol diet. 24 rabbits were divided by 3 groups; normal control group, CH group, and CH+FC group. The normal control group was fed with the normal pellet diet. The CH group was fed with pellet diet including 4% cholesterol, and the CH+FC group was fed with pellet diet including 4% cholesterol and 4% Flos Carthami dry -extract powder about 100g diet per 1 kg body weight per a day. After 12 weeks, animals were sacrificed and a piece of ascending aorta was collected. Tissue was sectioned 8 micrometer thickness and sections were stained with hematoxylin -eosin, alcian blue pH 2.5, aldehyde -fuchsin, and Van Gieson 's trichrome method. In CH+FC group, atheroma and mucoprotein formation on tunica intima of the ascending aorta was reduced, and lesion of elastic and collagen fibers in tunica media was also attenuated with respect to that in CH group. According to this result, it is considered that Flos Carthami has a preventing effect on atherosclerosis or a control effect on hypercholesterolemia. But distinct mechanism of action is still unclear.
Alcian Blue ; Animals ; Aorta ; Atherosclerosis* ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol* ; Collagen ; Diet* ; Hematoxylin ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; Rabbits ; Tunica Intima ; Tunica Media

BACKGROUND: The determination of postmortem chemical changes and relations among body fluids is very important in medicolegal community. A laboratory result is not useful if appropriate data for comparison are lacking. We think that it is easy to collect specimens from cows and to evaluate the effect of factors which can be artificially controlled. The establishment of reference ranges of chemical constituents on body fluid in cows is the purpose of this study. METHOD: Studies were performed on 33 deceased cows at the slaugherhouse. Immediately after death, specimens were obtained from the cervial vein and both eyes. All speimens were centrifuged and the supernatants were removed and frozen at -70c until analyzed. The seven chemical contituents (total protein, glucose, creatinine, calcium, sodium and chloride and potassium) were measured, and the reference range were determined. RERULT: The mean, standard error, standard deviation and reference range of all measured constituents were shown in table 2,3. In comparison mean value of viterous humor with that of blood, the level of total protein was profoundly low (5%). Those of calcium (68%), glucose (40%), and creatinine (36%) were also low. The mean value of sodium showed the similar level (101%), but those of potassium (120%) and chloride (119%) were higher than in blood. CONCLUSION: The comparison of a locally produced, small set of values often is not appropriate because the underlying statistical assumption are not fulfulled and because of the unbalanced sample size. A more extensive study will be required, using a larger number of subjects, to establish the full range of viariablitily and the effects of factors such as temperature of the postmortem environment.
Body Fluids ; Calcium ; Creatinine ; Glucose ; Potassium ; Reference Values ; Sample Size ; Sodium ; Veins ; Vitreous Body*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors for cervical lymph node (LN) metastasis and the clinical role of internal jugular LN (IJLN) sampling in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and who had a preoperatively undetected cervical LN. METHODS: One-hundred sixty-three patients with PTC (1 cm in diameter) without clinical evidence of cervical LN involvement were entered the study. All patients the received central compartment node dissection (CCND) and IJLN sampling after total thyroidectomy. We retrospectively analyzed the correlation between the metastatic rate of IJLN and the known risk factors for cervical LN metastasis in the PTC patients. The correlation between the status of the central compartment LN and IJLN metastasis was analyzed. RESULTS: The overall metastatic rate of the central compartment LN and the IJLN was 74.8% and 50.3%, respectively. The metastatic rate of the IJLN was significantly associated with the male gender (P=0.046), primary tumor size (>2 cm, P=0.003) and multiplicity (P=0.006) of the PTC. A young patient age, bilaterality and extracapsular invasion did not achieve statistical significance (P>0.05). The presence of central compartment LN metastasis was a statistically significant risk factor for IJLN metastasis, especially when the rate of central compartment LN metastasis was higher than 50% in the individual patients. CONCLUSION: According to our study, male gender, a large tumor size (>2 cm), multiplicity and the presence of central compartment LN metastasis is considered to be important risk factors for IJLN metastasis in PTC patients. IJLN sampling might be proposed as a relevant tool for making the decision to perform lymphadenectomy in PTC patients with a preoperatively undetected cervical LN.
Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes* ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroidectomy

Anaphylactic shock (AS) is a systemic and life-threatening type I hypersensitivity reaction and is often encountered at an autopsy. However, postmortem diagnosis of AS can be difficult due to non-specific autopsy findings. Clinically, the analysis of serum mast cell tryptase (MCT) is well known as a useful ancillary test for the diagnosis of AS. However, in order to apply this test to forensic autopsy, it is necessary to confirm its usefulness due to postmortem changes. We carried out serum MCT analysis in 299 autopsy cases including nine AS cases at National Forensic Service from January 2013 to May 2015 and analyzed the difference according to the cause of death and degree of postmortem change. As a result, the MCT level in AS was significantly increased compared to others, and the appropriate cutoff value for postmortem diagnosis of AS was 63.0 µg/L (sensitivity 88.9%, specificity 98.6%). Conclusively, serum MCT analysis is a useful test for postmortem diagnosis of AS and seems to be more appropriate for screening rather than confirmation.

An autopsy for a fatal anaphylactic shock (AS) is not rare; however, postmortem diagnosis of anaphylaxis can be very challenging due to nonspecific macroscopic findings and absence of diagnostic tests except serum mast cell tryptase analysis. We tried to review the usefulness of histopathologic examination as an alternative method for the postmortem diagnosis of AS in this study. Immunohistochemical staining was carried out for detection of mast cells in 27 autopsy cases, including 7 AS cases, 5 false-positive cases, and 15 control cases at the National Forensic Service from January 2013 to May 2015, and the differences of mast cell counts and staining pattern were analyzed. The results revealed no differences in the number of mast cells among the three groups; however, a characteristic mast cell degranulation staining pattern was observed in the AS group and false-positive group. It can be conclusively inferred that the histopathologic examination could prove helpful in the postmortem diagnosis of AS, but it should serve as an ancillary option.

Anaphylactic shock (AS) is a systemic and life-threatening type I hypersensitivity reaction and is often encountered at an autopsy. However, postmortem diagnosis of AS can be difficult due to non-specific autopsy findings. Clinically, the analysis of serum mast cell tryptase (MCT) is well known as a useful ancillary test for the diagnosis of AS. However, in order to apply this test to forensic autopsy, it is necessary to confirm its usefulness due to postmortem changes. We carried out serum MCT analysis in 299 autopsy cases including nine AS cases at National Forensic Service from January 2013 to May 2015 and analyzed the difference according to the cause of death and degree of postmortem change. As a result, the MCT level in AS was significantly increased compared to others, and the appropriate cutoff value for postmortem diagnosis of AS was 63.0 µg/L (sensitivity 88.9%, specificity 98.6%). Conclusively, serum MCT analysis is a useful test for postmortem diagnosis of AS and seems to be more appropriate for screening rather than confirmation.

Anaphylactic shock (AS) is a systemic and life-threatening type I hypersensitivity reaction and is often encountered at an autopsy. However, postmortem diagnosis of AS can be difficult due to non-specific autopsy findings. Clinically, the analysis of serum mast cell tryptase (MCT) is well known as a useful ancillary test for the diagnosis of AS. However, in order to apply this test to forensic autopsy, it is necessary to confirm its usefulness due to postmortem changes. We carried out serum MCT analysis in 299 autopsy cases including nine AS cases at National Forensic Service from January 2013 to May 2015 and analyzed the difference according to the cause of death and degree of postmortem change. As a result, the MCT level in AS was significantly increased compared to others, and the appropriate cutoff value for postmortem diagnosis of AS was 63.0 µg/L (sensitivity 88.9%, specificity 98.6%). Conclusively, serum MCT analysis is a useful test for postmortem diagnosis of AS and seems to be more appropriate for screening rather than confirmation.

OBJECTIVE: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia has been emerging as an important nosocomial pathogen in recent years in patients with impaired host- defense mechanism or who has been exposed to large amount of inocula. This organism is usually resistant to multiple (commonly used) antimicrobial agents, particularly to those of the beta-lactam class. To evaluate the clinical feature of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infection and in vitro anti- microbial susceptibility, we performed a retrospective study. METHODS: We analyzed the result of in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility test for 200 isolates of S. maltophilia and the annual isolation rate during the period between January 1990 and December 1994 in our institution, and performed a retrospective study for the available records of 165 cases among them. The data were obtained with only the first isolation of the organism for each patients. RESULTS: Total of 165 initial isolates, the isolates were from wounds in 50(30.3%), urine in 47(28.5%), the respiratory tract in 37(22.4%), blood in 9(5.5%), bile in 6(3.6%), and miscellaneous sources in 16(9.7%). The 84.2% of isolates were hospital-acquired isolate and 58.3% of these patients had received antecedent antibiotic therapy: polymicrobial growth was demonstrated in 61.9% of the cases. In vitro antimicrobial susceptibiiity test, ofloxacin was active against the isolates in 89.2%, moxalactam in 85.9%, ciprofloxacin in 83.9%, TMP-SMX(trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) in 64.2%, As expected, S. maltophilia isolates were, in general, not susceptible to cephalosporins, penicillins. The annual isolation rate at Kyung Hee University hospital was not increased significantly from 1990 to 1994, 19.53 per 10,000 patients dismissals in 1990, 13.56 in 1994. The major underlying diseases of patients were malignancy(17.6%), cerebrovascular disorder(17%), diabetic mellitus(13.3%). Mortality rate is 10.3%. CONCLUSION: S. maltophilia has been emerging as an important nosocomial pathogen in immunocompromised patients, especially those receiving broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy. And this organism is resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents, particularly to those of the beta-lactam class. When antimicrobial treatment is necessary, the clinician should be guided by results of in vitro susceptibility testing because of the notable in vitro resistance of S. maltophilia to commonly used antibiotics. And when S. maltophilia has been recovered from a patient, wound and contact isolation is warranted.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Bile ; Cephalosporins ; Ciprofloxacin ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Mortality ; Moxalactam ; Ofloxacin ; Penicillins ; Respiratory System ; Retrospective Studies ; Stenotrophomonas maltophilia ; Stenotrophomonas* ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence,. degree, and clinical significance of non-obstructive intrahepatic bile duct di'latation encountered on follow up CT after gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed follow-up abdominal CT of 65 patients who had undergone gastrectomy with truncal vagotomy and subtotal gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma. We classified those patients who showed intrahepatic duct dilatation into non-obstructive or obstructive groups depending on the presence or absence of the lesions obstructing the duct. We also evaluated the incidence, degree and pattern, and appearance time of non-obstructive type of duct dilatation. RESULTS: Non-obstructive and obstructive biliary dilatations were present in 8 cases(12.3%) and 9 cases(13. 8%), respectively. The degree of non-obstructive group was mild in 6 cases(75%) and moderate in 2 cases (25%) who had taken cholecystectomy during the follow up period, and patterns were proportional dilatation of the central and peripheral intrahepatic ducts. It appeared on follow up CT obtained 6 to 12 months after operation in 7 cases and 3.5 months in one case. No statistical significance was noted between the type of surgery and the incidence of non-obstructive dilatation(p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Mild dilatation of the central intrahepatic ducts without evidence of mechanical biliary obstruction can be seen on follow-up CT obtained more than 6 months after gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma, and the incidence is about 12%. We think that this finding is non-obstructive and clinical evaluation is unnecessary.
Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Cholecystectomy ; Dilatation* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vagotomy, Truncal

The amniotic band syndrome is a collection of fetal malformations caused by fibrous bands that appear to entangle or entrap various parts of fetus in utero, leading to deformation, malformation, or disruption involving the limbs, craniofacial region and trunk. The incidence of this syndrome is relatively rare. This syndrome often shows irreversible serious outcome. So, early diagnosis of amniotic band syndrome is important. Ultrasonography enables us to detect the amniotic band syndrome prenatally. In the second and third trimester of the pregnancy, it is relatively easy to detect major anomalies of amniotic band syndrome by its characteristic features, including amputation and/or constriction of the extremities, facial clefts, asymmetric encephaloceles and gastroschisis. Five cases of amniotic band syndrome which have been diagnosed prenatally by ultrasonography are discussed. The diagnosis was based on sonographic visualization of amniotic band and associated fetal deformation, malformations or disruption known to characterize the amniotic band syndrome.
Amniotic Band Syndrome* ; Amputation ; Constriction ; Diagnosis* ; Early Diagnosis ; Encephalocele ; Extremities ; Female ; Fetus ; Gastroschisis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Ultrasonography*