BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of alpha-interferon (IFN) on liver histology as well as on activation of hepatic stellate cell ( HSC) and trans for ming growth fact or beta-1 (TGF beta-1) expression. We had also investigated the clinical usefulness of TGFbeta-1 and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) expression in liver tissue for predicting a response to alpha-IFN therapy in chronic hepat it is B. METHODS: We studied the expression of TGFbeta-1 and alpha-SMA in liver biopsys pecimens from 51 chronic hepatitis B pat ients. Using immunohistochemical staining and a semiquant it ative scoring met hod, we also evaluated TGF-beta1 and alpha-SMA expression in liver stellate cells before and after alpha-IFN therapy in liver tissue from rebiopsys pecimen of the 12 chronic hepatitis B pat ients. Recombinant IFN alpha-2b (Intron A) in doses of 6 MU/ d was given to patients intramus cularly three times per week for 6 months (total doses , 432 MU). The patients were divided into two groups according to serum alanine aminotransferase levels as well as HBV- DNA and HBeAg s eroconversion stat e. Histological grading and staging scores were according to modified Histological Activity Index (HAI) grading systems of Ishak (1995). RESULTS: The index of portal inflammation and total scores of HAI grading significantly decreased in biopsies after alpha-IFN treatment, but the scores of fibrosis staging showed no significant change in biopsies after IFN treatment. A significant decrease in alpha-SMA expression, especially in periportal area, was found, but the change of TGFbeta-1 expression was not significant. The immunoreactivity of alpha-SMA was significantly lower in responders than in non-responders, whereas the diffference of immunoreactivity of TGF-beta1 between these two groups was not found. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that alpha-IFN therapy may reduce the necroinflammatory activity in liver tissues of chronic B viral hepatitis and that the degree of alpha-SMA expression before treatment may be employed as a pottent predicting indicator for the therapeutic efficacy of IFN-alpha.
Actins ; Alanine Transaminase ; Biopsy ; DNA ; Fibrosis ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interferon-alpha ; Interferons* ; Liver* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1*

Precalcaneal congenital fibrolipomatous hamartomas (PCFHs) are characterized clinically by the presence of unilateral or bilateral, asymptomatic nodules in the medial precalcaneal plantar region of the heel. They are skin colored and usually painless nodules. In most patients, the lesions appear within the first few months of life, but they may also be present at birth. Generally PCFHs are benign, but they can grow in proportion to the growth of the infants. Here, we report the case of a 4-month-old boy with a solitary, localized skin-colored nodule on the precalcaneal plantar region of his right heel, diagnosed as a PCFH.
Hamartoma ; Heel ; Humans ; Infant ; Parturition ; Skin

Objectives: The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published “A Guideline for Unknown Disease Outbreaks (UDO).” The aim of this report was to introduce tabletop exercises (TTX) to prepare for UDO in the future. Methods: The UDO Laboratory Analyses Task Force in Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in April 2018, assigned unknown diseases into 5 syndromes, designed an algorithm for diagnosis, and made a panel list for diagnosis by exclusion. Using the guidelines and laboratory analyses for UDO, TTX were introduced. Results: Since September 9th , 2018, the UDO Laboratory Analyses Task Force has been preparing TTX based on a scenario of an outbreak caused by a novel coronavirus. In December 2019, through TTX, individual missions, epidemiological investigations, sample treatments, diagnosis by exclusions, and next generation sequencing analysis were discussed, and a novel coronavirus was identified as the causal pathogen. Conclusion Guideline and laboratory analyses for UDO successfully applied in TTX. Conclusions drawn from TTX could be applied effectively in the analyses for the initial response to COVID-19, an ongoing epidemic of 2019 - 2020. Therefore, TTX should continuously be conducted for the response and preparation against UDO.