No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Chungcheongnam-do* ; Diagnosis* ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Immunoglobulin M* ; Orientia tsutsugamushi* ; Rickettsia* ; Scrub Typhus*

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Chungcheongnam-do* ; Diagnosis* ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Immunoglobulin M* ; Orientia tsutsugamushi* ; Rickettsia* ; Scrub Typhus*

Optokinetic nystagmus(OKN) is commonly employed in the assessment of central vestibular lesion. Asymmetry in the OKN has been found in lesions ipsilateral to the direction of the slow phase in parietal lobe, in brain stem, and in the cerebellum. Asymmetry of the OKN may also occur in peripheral vestibular lesions due to spontaneous nystagmus, and this may explain why even enhanced velocities of OKN are sometimes met in these patients. The ocular abnormality as congenital strabismus, extraocular paresis, and congenital nystagmus can cause abnormalities of optokinetic nystagmus. We investigated the clinical significance of OKN test and spontaneous nystagmus for differentiation of peripheral and central vestibular disorder. In this study, we recorded the optokinetic nystagmus by the electronystagmography. We divided the optokinetic response from normal to type III according to direction of the nystagmus and difference of(Rt-Lt) Vmean. At the result, all of the vestibuloneuronitis who had the optokinetic abnormality showed type I OKN abnormality with spontaneous nystagmus. Type II and type III OKN abnormality always appeared in central vertigo patients. Type I OKN abnormality could be seen in peripheral and central vertigo patient. But half of the central vertigo patients who had type I OKN abnormality did not have spontaneous nystagmus. We could not correlated OKN abnormality with specific location of central nervous system.
Brain Stem ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebellum ; Electronystagmography ; Humans ; Nystagmus, Congenital ; Nystagmus, Optokinetic* ; Paresis ; Parietal Lobe ; Strabismus ; Vertigo

No abstract available.
Hypothyroidism* ; Myasthenia Gravis*

PURPOSE: Esophageal cancer patients have a difficulty in the intake of meals through the blocked esophageal lumen, which is caused by an ingrowth of cancer cells and largely influences on the prognosis. It is reported that esophageal cancer has a very low survival rate due to the lack of nourishment and immunity as the result of this. In this study a new radioactive stent, which prevents tumor ingrowth and restenosis by additional radiation treatment, has been developed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using HANARO research reactor, the radioactive stent assembly (166Ho-SA) was prepared by covering the metallic stent with a radioactive sleeve by means of a post-irradiation and pre-irradiation methods. RESULTS: Scanning electron microscopy and autoradiography exhibited that the distribution of 165/166Ho (NO3) compounds in polyurethane matrix was homogeneous. A geometrical model of the esophagus considering its structural properties, was developed for the computer simulation of energy deposition to the esophageal wall. The dose distributions of 166Ho-stent were calculated by means of the EGS4 code system. The sources are considered to be distributed uniformly on the surface in the form of a cylinder with a diameter of 20 mm and length of 40 mm. As an animal experiment, when radioactive stent developed in this study was inserted into the esophagus of a Mongrel dog, tissue destruction and widening of the esophageal lumen were observed. CONCLUSION: We have developed a new radioactive stent comprising of a radioactive tubular sleeve covering the metallic stent, which emits homogeneous radiation. If it is inserted into the blocked or narrowed lumen, it can lead to local destruction of the tumor due to irradiation effect with dilatation resulting from self-expansion of the metallic property. Accordingly, it is expected that restenosis esophageal lumen by the continuous ingrowth and infiltration of cancer after insertion of our radioactive stent will be decreased remarkably.
Animal Experimentation ; Animals ; Autoradiography ; Computer Simulation ; Dilatation ; Dogs ; Esophageal Neoplasms* ; Esophagus ; Humans ; Meals ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Polyurethanes ; Prognosis ; Stents ; Survival Rate

The gastrointestinal rnanifestations associated with antiphospholipid antibodies include Budd-Chiari syndroame, hepatic infarction, portal hypertension, pancreatitis, intestinal infarction, perforation, bleeding and ulceration. A 40-year old man, without prior thrombotic event, presented with severe abdominal pain for 3 days and septic shock. Multiple mesenteric venous thrombosis and colonic congestion were suggested by abdominal CT and angiography. Gastroendoscopy revealed esophageal varix and congestive gastropathy. Laboratory tests disclosed postive antiphospholipid antibodies, anti-HCV antibodies, HCV-PCR, prolonged PT, aPTT, thrombocytopenia and had no evidences of SLE and other connective tissue diseases. He was diagnosed as mutiple mesenteric thrombosis and portal hypertension associated with antiphospholipid antibodies in hepatitis C virus infection. He was improved with the antibiotics and intravenous vasopressors. He have had no other thrombotic events until one year after discharge.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Angiography ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Antibodies, Antiphospholipid ; Colon ; Connective Tissue Diseases ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Hemorrhage ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis C Antibodies ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Hypertension, Portal ; Infarction ; Pancreatitis ; Shock, Septic ; Thrombocytopenia ; Thrombosis* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ulcer ; Venous Thrombosis

Paclitaxel (Taxol) is known as effective drug for inhibition of cell cycle encouraging in human cancer cells. This drug named an antimicrotubule agent which simulate the mitotic arrest towards an apoptosis. The influence of phorbol 12 myristate 13 acetate (PMA) activated protein kinase C (PKC) and nitric oxide (NO) on taxol-induced apoptosis, is poorly understood. To investigate the effects of PMA and NO on the signal transduction in taxol-induced apoptosis in C6-glial cells, the viability and caspase-3 activity of C6-glial cells were analyzed. Pretreatement with PKC activatior (PMA) protected taxol-induced cell death in C6-glial cells, by inhibited caspases-3 activity. On the other hand, the taxol-induced apoptosis was highly enhanced by sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as NO activator. These results suggest that PMA strongly blocks the apoptotic effect of taxol, while nitric oxide has no protective effects in the process of toxol-induced apoptosis in C6-glial cells.
Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Death ; Hand ; Humans ; Myristic Acid ; Nitric Oxide* ; Nitroprusside ; Paclitaxel ; Protein Kinase C ; Signal Transduction

Background: The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the post-acute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection (PASC) are not well understood.Our study aimed to investigate various aspects of theses mechanisms, including viral persistence, immunological responses, and laboratory parameters in patients with and without PASC. Methods: We prospectively enrolled adults aged ≥ 18 years diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) between August 2022 and July 2023. Blood samples were collected at three time-points: within one month of diagnosis (acute phase) and at 1 month, and 3 months post-diagnosis. Following a recent well-designed definition of PASC, PASC patients were defined as those with a questionnaire-based PASC score ≥ 12 persisting for at least 4 weeks after the initial COVID-19 diagnosis. Results: Of 57 eligible COVID-19 patients, 29 (51%) had PASC, and 28 (49%) did not. The PASC group had significantly higher nucleocapsid protein (NP) antigenemia 3 months after COVID-19 diagnosis (P = 0.022). Furthermore, several cytokines, including IL-2, IL-17A, VEGF, RANTES, sCD40L, IP-10, I-TAC, and granzyme A, were markedly elevated in the PASC group 1 and/or 3 month(s) after COVID-19 diagnosis. In contrast, the median values of several serological markers, including thyroid markers, autoimmune indicators, and stress-related hormones, were within the normal range. Conclusion Levels of NP antigen and of various cytokines involved in immune responses become significantly elevated over time after COVID-19 diagnosis in PASC patients compared to non-PASC patients. This suggests that PASC is associated with prolonged immune dysregulation resulting from heightened antigenic stimulation.