No abstract available.
Bone Marrow* ; Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia*

PURPOSE: To assess the diagnostic value of Mn-DPDP for the detection of focal hepatic tumors on MR images and to determine the optimal pulse sequence to maximize its effect. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three patients with 32 focal hepatic tumors were examined by means of 1.5-T MRI. Before and after the intravenous administration of Mn-DPDP, five pulse sequences were used to obtain T1-weighted images: two-dimensional fast low-angle shot (2D FLASH) with/without fat saturation (FS), spinecho (SE), and three-dimensional fast low angle shot reconstruction (3D FLASH) with/without FS. Quantitative assessment involved determination of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the liver and the tumor, the percentage signal enhancement ratio (PSER) of the liver, and tumor-to-liver contrast to noise ratio (CNR). Pulse sequences were also evaluated subjectively for tumor conspicuity, delineation, and image artifact. In addition, two experienced radiologists compared tumor detection rates between precontrast and postcontrast images. RESULTS: Mn-DPDP had a marked effect on liver SNR and absolute CNR at all pulse sequences (p<0.05). On postcontrast images, PSER and absolute CNR of the liver were highest at 3D FLASH and 2D FLASH FS, respectively, and significantly higher at GRE than at SE (p<0.05). On postcontrast images, the CNR of focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatocellular carcinoma was positive, while that of hemangioma, metastasis and cholangiocarcinoma was negative. The postcontrast CNR of all tumors except hepatocellular carcinoma increased more than 100%. Qualitative studies showed that tumor conspicuity increased significantly at all sequences except SE, and delineation increased significantly except at SE and postcontrast 2D GRE FS. After Mn-DPDP, GRE more effectively demonstrated tumor conspicuity and image artifact than did SE, and GRE other than 2D FLASH FS was also better than SE for tumor dilineation (p<0.05). The sensitivity of all postcontrast images increased and the tumor detection rate at GRE was significantly higher than at SE. CONCLUSION: Mn-DPDP favorably affects tumor-to-liver contrast, and may be useful in the imaging of focal hepatic tumors, more so with 2D or 3D FLASH pulse sequences than with SE.
Administration, Intravenous ; Artifacts ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Dyphylline ; Focal Nodular Hyperplasia ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Liver ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Manganese ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Noise ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio

Tsutsugamushi disease is an acute febrile illness caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi. It is characterized by fever, myalgia, lymphadenopathy, and rash. And it can be easily diagnosed by characteristic eschar and serologic testing. Nearly all of the patients with tsutsugamushi disease improve with antibiotics such as doxycycline. However, the fatality rate of untreated cases is seven to ten percent. The well-known causes of mortality are respiratory failure associated with pulmonary edema or adult respiratory distress syndrome. We report a case of tsutsugamushi disease complicated with acute respiratory distress syndrome and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, despite of doxycycline treatment. A 78-year old woman was admitted to the hospital because of fever. Twelve days before admission she had suffered myalgia and some days later she developed a rash. Despite of management at a local clinic, her condition deteriorated and she was transferred to our hospital. On admission she presented with altered consciousness and two eschars on her right arm and right thigh. Under the initial diagnosis of scrub typhus, doxycycline was administered. Her fever subsided with the initiation of doxycycline. However, her hypoxia worsened progressively and she died on the fifth hospital day.
Adult* ; Aged ; Anoxia ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arm ; Consciousness ; Diagnosis ; Doxycycline ; Exanthema ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Mortality ; Myalgia ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Pulmonary Edema ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult* ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Scrub Typhus* ; Serologic Tests ; Thigh

PURPOSE: Islet cell transplantation, as an alternative approach to endocrine cell replacement to treat the diabetes mellitus, has received significant attention because it holds several advantages over whole gland transplantation. However cell damage from islet isolation and immunologic rejection after transplantation prevent from successful clinical application for diabetic patients. Culture of cells at low temperature has known to stabilize the cell viability, and to decrease the immunologic antigenicity. Aim of this study is to investigate the effect of culture at 24oC on cell viability, cellular function, immunogenicity and cytokine profiles in rat pancreas islet. METHODS: Pancreas islets were isolated from Lewis rat and cultured at 24oC or 37oC during 14 days. Islet recovery after culture period was counted as islet equivalent number, and islet viability was examined with fluorescent vital staining (FDA/PI). Islet function was measured with glucose stimulation test. Annexin V expression and MHC class I and II expression were measured with flow cytometric assay for apoptosis and immunogenicity respectively. Lymphocyte cell proliferation through mixed lymphocyte islet culture was examined with WST-1 proliferation assay. Cytokine profiles were analyzed with quantitative real time RT-PCR. All these parameters were measured on 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 culture days after islet isolation. RESULTS: Islet recovery was higher in islet cultured at 24oC than in islet cultured at 37oC without change of viability. Insulin secretion after glucose stimulation was more effective in 24oC culture condition. Decrease of apoptotic cell death was demonstrated in 24oC cultured islet. MHC class I and II expression on islets and lymphocyte proliferation when cocultured with islets were less prominent in 24oC cultured islet. TNF-alpha and IL-4 cytokine expression was higher in islet cultured at 24oC than in islet cultured at 37oC. IL-1beta and IL-10 cytokine expression were similar in both culture condition. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that cell recovery and function are increased in islet cultured at 24oC than in islet cultured at 37oC while antigenicity and proinflammatory cytokine expression are decreased. Low temperature culture can be a good approach to prevent the loss of islet mass, and to reduce the immunologic rejection of transplanted islet for successful clinical islet transplantation.
Animals ; Annexin A5 ; Apoptosis ; Cell Death ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Survival ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Endocrine Cells ; Glucose ; Humans ; Insulin ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-4 ; Islets of Langerhans Transplantation ; Islets of Langerhans* ; Lymphocytes ; Pancreas* ; Rats* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Constipation is one of the most common functional digestive complaints worldwide. We investigated the laxative effects of figs (Ficus carica L) in a beagle model of constipation induced by high protein diet and movement restriction. The experiments were consecutively conducted over 9 weeks divided into 3 periods of 3 weeks each. All 15 beagles were subjected to a non-treatment (control) period, a constipation induction period, and a fig paste treatment period. We administered fig paste (12 g/kg daily, by gavage) for 3 weeks following a 3-week period of constipation induction in dogs. Segmental colonic transit time (CTT) was measured by counting radiopaque markers (Kolomark) using a radiograph performed every 6 h after feeding Kolomark capsules, until capsules were no longer observed. Fig paste significantly increased fecal quantity in constipated dogs, and segmental CTT was also reduced following fig paste administration. There were no significant differences in feed intake, water intake, body weight, or blood test results, between the constipation and fig paste administration periods. Our results demonstrate that fig is an effective treatment for constipation in beagles. Specifically, stool weight increased and segmental CTT decreased. Fig pastes may be useful as a complementary medicine in humans suffering from chronic constipation.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Capsules ; Carica ; Colon ; Complementary Therapies ; Constipation ; Diet ; Dogs ; Drinking ; Ficus ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Ointments ; Stress, Psychological

A 60-year-old woman with end stage liver cirrhosis caused by genotype 2 hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection received an orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The patient was negative for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and positive for the anti-hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) prior to and one and a half months following the OLT. Due to reactivation of hepatitis C, treatment with interferon-alpha and Ribavirin started two months following the OLT and resulted in a sustained virological response. We performed a liver biopsy because a biochemical response was not achieved. Surprisingly, liver pathology showed HBsAg-positive hepatocytes with a lobular hepatitis feature, which had been negative in the liver biopsy specimen obtained one and a half months post-OLT. High titers of both HBsAg and HBeAg were detected, while anti-HBs antibodies were not found. Tests for IgM anti-hepatitis B core antibody and anti-delta virus antibodies were negative. The serum HBV DNA titer was over 1x10(7) copies/mL. A sequencing analysis showed no mutation in the "a" determinant region, but revealed a mixture of wild and mutant strains at an overlapping region of the S and P genes (S codon 213 (Leu/Ile); P codons 221 (Phe/Tyr) and 222 (Ala/Thr)). These findings suggest that de novo hepatitis B can develop in patients with HCV infection during the post-OLT period despite the presence of protective anti-HBs.
Antibodies ; Biopsy ; Codon ; DNA ; Female ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis C ; Hepatocytes ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Interferon-alpha ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Transplantation ; Middle Aged ; Ribavirin ; Superinfection ; Viruses

OBJECTIVE: Low-dose aspirin have been proposed to improving endometrial receptivity and pregnancy rate in COH-IVF by increasing endometrial perfusion. However, the effect of low-dose aspirin in COH-IVF could be negligible because there have been large quantity of other important factors responsible for changing endometrial perfusion accompanied by COH procedure. In contrast, in frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles which were not accompanied by COH procedure, the effects of low-dose aspirin in endometrial blood flow seems to be more certain than in COH-IVF cycles. In this study, we analyzed the effect of low-dose aspirin treatment on implantation and pregnancy rates in patients undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer METHODS: From January 2003 to December 2003, total 264 cycles from 264 patients who attended infertility clinic at Samsung Cheil Hospital were enrolled in this study. All cases included in this study, embryos were frozen and thawed at the pronuclear stage and three days after incubation, at least 2 or more good quality embryos were transferred into uterus. In study group, low dose aspirin (100 mg/day) was administrated from the first or second date of menstrual day to 9 days after embryo transfer. On the other hand, control group did not take any medicine except estradiol valerate for endometrial priming. Several variables including implantation and pregnancy rates were compared in both groups. After then, each groups were stratified by endometrial thickness checked at embryo transfer (ET) day such as (28 mm versus <8 mm) and same variables above described were compared between study and control groups. RESULTS: The mean age, infertility duration, endometrial thickness at embryo transfer day and mean number of transferred embryo were not significantly different in both groups. Also, implantation rates (study group: 15.8%, control group: 20.5%) and pregnancy rate (study group: 45.1%, control group: 43.5%) were not significantly different between two groups. (p>0.05) After we analyzed same variables stratified by endometrial thickness checked at embryo transfer day, we could not found any significant difference between study and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose aspirin treatment seems to have no advantage of improving implantation and pregnancy rates in patients undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer.
Aspirin* ; Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Estradiol ; Hand ; Humans ; Infertility ; Perfusion ; Pregnancy Rate* ; Pregnancy* ; Uterus