Recently attention has been focused on the biology of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1). TGF-beta1, a potent regulator of cell proliferation, stimulates the proliferation of many cell types of mesenchymal origin and inhibits the growth of many epithelial cells. But its cellular distribution and temporal expression remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate immunohistochemically the cellular distribution and temporal expression of TGF-beta1 during rat hepatic fibrosis induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN). At an early stage of liver fibrosis, there was evidence of multiple centrilobular hemorrhagic necrosis with parenchymal lobular collapse, and at a late stage, there was septal fibrosis with micronodule formation of the parenchyme. TGF-beta1 peptide was first expressed in centrilobular clusters of macrophage which were surrounded by many TGF-beta1 negative fat-storing cells (FSCs). Along with the progression of fibrosis, the TGF-beta1 peptide was expressed in the alpha-smooth muscle actin positive FSCs and also in some peripherally located hepatocytes of micronodules. Serum IFN-gamma was detected in the serum 2 weeks after an initial administration of DMN had reached the peak level at the 4th week and then markedly decreased at the 5th week. We think that TGF-beta1 peptide is produced by macrophages influenced by soluble IFN-gamma, and is expressed in the -smooth muscle actin positive mesenchymal cells and regenerating hepatocytes, and that this cytokine may have an important role in the synthesis of the extracellular matrix and in the regulation of hepatocytic regeneration.
Actins ; Animals ; Biology ; Cell Proliferation ; Dimethylnitrosamine* ; Epithelial Cells ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibrosis* ; Hepatocytes ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver* ; Macrophages ; Necrosis ; Rats* ; Regeneration ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1*

One of common injury sites in golfers is the wrist, but ulnar neuropathies at wrist in golfers have been rarely reported. We report a case of ulnar neuropathy within the Guyon's tunnel occurred in a single golfer diagnosed with electrodiagnosis and ultrasound. A 59-year old man suffered from difficulty with extension of left 4th and 5th finger joints and weakness of hand grasping, which had occurred 2 weeks ago and aggravated slowly. He had no sensory disturbance. During recent two months, he had practiced golf for three to four hours daily. Electrodiagnostic study showed that the deep branch of left ulnar nerve was compromised at the wrist (type IIA). Ultrasound study revealed a ganglion cyst within the Guyon's tunnel. Therefore we diagnosed the patient as having ulnar neuropathy (only deep branch involvement) associated with a ganglion cyst within the Guyon's tunnel.
Electrodiagnosis ; Finger Joint ; Ganglion Cysts ; Golf ; Hand ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Ulnar Nerve ; Ulnar Neuropathies ; Wrist

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of depressive symptoms on cognitive and functional recovery in chronic stroke patients. METHOD: Seventy-four chronic stroke patients were included. They had inpatient rehabilitation program for 2 months. Depressive symptoms were evaluated with the Beck depression inventory (BDI), cognitive functions by the Korean mini-mental status examination (MMSE-K) and functional status by the modified Barthel index (MBI) before and after the rehabilitation. We investigated whether the improvement of depressive symptoms after rehabilitation had influenced the cognitive and functional recovery, by comparing the changes of MMSE-K and MBI in patients with depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Before inpatient rehabilitation program, patients with depressive symptoms had low scores of MMSE-K and MBI compared to those without. While patients with depressive symptoms had significant improvement of MMSE-K after rehabilitation (p<0.05), those without did not. Both groups with and without depressive symptoms had significant improvement of MBI after rehabilitation, but the changes of MBI were not different significantly. Among patients with depressive symptoms at admission, those who showed improved depression after rehabilitation had the significant improvement of MMSE-K after rehabilitation (p<0.05), but those with sustained depressive symptoms did not. CONCLUSION: Post-stroke depressive symptoms may influence on cognitive function. However, post-stroke depressive symptoms did not have any effect on functional recovery.
Activities of Daily Living ; Cognition ; Depression ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Stroke

Metronidazole can induce serious neurologic problems including peripheral neuropathy, seizures, and encephalopathy. We examined a patient with acute Wernicke's encephalopathy and peripheral polyneuropathy that had developed after prolonged metronidazole therapy without a history of chronic alcoholism or poor nutritional intake. The 68-year-old man had been hospitalized for a brain abscess and was treated for 10 weeks with metronidazole (2 grams per day). This patient, who showed symptoms of numbness and tingling in the legs, was referred for electromyography (EMG) and was diagnosed with peripheral polyneuropathy. A few days later, he developed sudden ataxia, dizziness, and diplopia. The neurologic examination revealed nystagmus and ophthalmoplegia, and the FLAIR brain MRI showed symmetrical high signal intensity lesions in the cerebellar dentate nucleus, midbrain, tegmentum around the periaqueductal gray matter, and tectum. After administering intravenous thiamine and stopping the metronidazole therapy, he recovered from the ophthalmoplegia and ataxia. Brain MR showed complete recovery within 3 weeks; however the EMG remained abnormal for a further 6 months, although the symptoms were almost completely resolved by this time.
Aged ; Alcoholism ; Ataxia ; Brain ; Brain Abscess ; Cerebellar Nuclei ; Diplopia ; Dizziness ; Electromyography ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Leg ; Mesencephalon ; Metronidazole ; Neurologic Examination ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Periaqueductal Gray ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Polyneuropathies ; Seizures ; Thiamine ; Wernicke Encephalopathy

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to examine whether the degree of fetal smallness in small for gestational age (SGA) infants would increase the risk of catch-up-growth failure at 12 and 24 months corrected age (CA), and whether the high-calorie nutritional support would improve catch-up growth between 12 and 24 months CA. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 103 preterm infants born between January 2010 and December 2011. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate whether the birth weight z-score would be an independent risk factor for catch-up growth failure at 12 or 24 months CA. Among the 46 infants with failed catch-up growth at 12 months CA, 16 infants were provided high-calorie nutritional support, including nutritional supplements and medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil at the pediatric gastroenterology clinic. RESULTS: Of 103 preterm infants, 34 infants (33%) were SGA and 69 infants (67%) were appropriate for gestational age (AGA). One birth weight z-score decrement increased the odds for catch-up growth failure 2.9 times at 12 months CA and 3.0 times at 24 months CA after adjustment for major neonatal morbidities. The increase in z-score between 12 and 24 months CA was significantly greater in the infants provided nutritional support than in the infants who were not provided nutritional support. CONCLUSION: The birth weight z-score can be used as a predictor of catch-up growth failure. High-calorie nutritional support may improve weight gain during the second year in preterm infants with failed catch-up growth at 12 months CA.
Birth Weight* ; Cohort Studies ; Gastroenterology ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Logistic Models ; Nutritional Support ; Parturition* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Triglycerides ; Weight Gain