Invasive infections with Aspergillus species may occur in patients with severe immune deficits and have been described rarely in systemic lupus erythematosus. We present two cases of pulmonary aspergillosis in steroid-treated systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE). Both patients had active SLE treated with high dose corticosteroids and prescribed with broad spectrum antibiotics. One patient had combined infection with pulmonary tuberculosis and the other present granulocytopenia. The diagnosis was delayed because symptoms and radiologic findings were confused with lupus pneumonitis and bacterial infections. This was similar to those reported previously. Diagnosis was confirmed by identification of the typical septated hyphae within tissue. We prescribed high dose amphotericin B to both patients. But one died with sepsis. Aspergillosis should be suspected in patients with active SLE who are immunocompromised and sustain concomitant bacterial infections. More aggressive diagnostic investigation and treatment may be needed to improve poor prognosis.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Agranulocytosis ; Amphotericin B ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aspergillosis* ; Aspergillus ; Bacterial Infections ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Pneumonia ; Prognosis ; Pulmonary Aspergillosis ; Sepsis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

The fibromatosis is a broad group of benign fibrous tissue proliferations of similar microscopic appearance that are intermediate in their biological behavior between benign fibrous lesions and fibrosarcoma. Although various series have been reported of abdominal wall and extra-abdominal desmoid tumors, intra-abdominal desoids are extremely rare. We experienced a case with mesenteric fibroma-tosis occuring in a 30 year-old male. He was admitted to the Kangbuk Samsung hospital complaining of right lower quadrant abdominal mass and abdominal bloating sense. Utrasonography and computed tomography of the abdomen showed a solid mass in the left abdomen surrounded by loops of small bowel. At explorative laparotomy, there was a hard, well circumscribed round mass (25 X 15 X 12 cm) in the mesentery of the terminal ilem. After the tumor was dissected from the retro-peritoneum and surrounding tissues, segmental re- section of ileum with end-to-end anastomosis was performed. On the histopathologic examination, it was confirmed as mesenteric fibromatosis. A brief review of the literature on mesentery fibromatosis was done.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Wall ; Adult ; Fibroma* ; Fibromatosis, Aggressive ; Fibrosarcoma ; Humans ; Ileum ; Laparotomy ; Male ; Mesentery

Recently, it has been reported that curcumin, which is known as a potent antioxidant, acts as a non-stressful and non-cytotoxic inducer of the cytoprotective heme oxygenase (HO)-1. In this study, naturally occurring curcuminoids, such as pure curcumin, demethoxycurcumin (DMC) and bis-demethoxycurcumin (BDMC), were compared for their potential ability to modulate HO-1 expression and cytoprotective activity in human endothelial cells. All three curcuminoids could induce HO-1 expression and HO activity with differential levels. The rank order of HO activity was curcumin, DMC and BDMC. In comparison with endothelial protection against H2O2-induced cellular injury, cytoprotective capacity was found to be highest with curcumin, followed by DMC and BDMC. Interestingly, cytoprotective effects afforded by curcuminoids were considerably associated with their abilities to enhance HO activity. Considering that the main difference among the three curcuminoids is the number of methoxy groups (none for BDMC, one for DMC, and two for curcumin), the presence of methoxy groups in the ortho position on the aromatic ring was suggested to be essential to enhance HO-1 expression and cytoprotection in human endothelial cells. Our results may be useful in designing more efficacious HO-1 inducers which could be considered as promising pharmacological agents in the development of therapeutic approaches for the prevention or treatment of endothelial diseases caused by oxidative damages.
Signal Transduction ; Models, Biological ; Hydrogen Peroxide/adverse effects ; Humans ; Heme Oxygenase-1/*metabolism/physiology ; Endothelial Cells/*drug effects/*metabolism ; DNA Damage/drug effects ; Cytoprotection/*drug effects ; Curcumin/*analogs & derivatives/*pharmacology

BACKGROUND: High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is more sensitive than standard CRP assay for evaluation of risk of coronary heart diseases and other atherosclerotic events. But, there were no data of association of serum hsCRP with risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and nonalcoholic fatty liver in Korean type 2 diabetic and nondiabetic subjects. METHODS : A hundred type 2 diabetic subjects (51 men and 49 women) from Severance Hospital and 200 nondiabetic subjects participating medical checkup in Health Promotion Center (105 men and 95 women) were recruited and subjects with acute illnesses and chronic inflammatory diseases such as upper respiratory infection, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or viral hepatitis were excluded. A standardized interview was conducted by trained personnel; detailed information was collected on medical history, dietary habits and lifestyle characteristics, including smoking, alcohol and physical activity. Body mass index (BMI) was computed and biochemical study were undergone using fasting blood. All subjects were done abdominal ultrasonography for evaluation of fatty liver. Serum hsCRP concentration was measured by Nephelometer AnalyzerII (Behring Co.) and a lower detection limit of test was 0.18 mg/L. RESULTS : There was no difference in sex, BMI, presence of fatty liver, concentration of total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and uric acid between diabetic and nondiabetic subjects. Age, total colesterol/HDL-C ratio, fasting blood glucose and incidence of hypertension were higher in diabetic than nondiabetic subjects, but a rate of smoking was higher in nondiabetic than diabetic subjects. The mean concentration of serum hsCRP was remarkably increased in type 2 diabetic subjects than nondiabetic subjects (1.34 +/- 1.87 vs 0.71 +/- 0.80 mg/L, p<0.05). After adjustment of different variables between both groups, there was significantly difference of the concentration of serum hsCRP (p<0.05). In nondiabetic subjects, by univariate analysis, there was a positive correlation between hsCRP and age (r=0.26, p<0.05), BMI (r=0.34, p<0.05), systolic blood pressure (r=0.21, p<0.05), diastolic blood pressure (r=0.16, p<0.05), triglyceride (r=0.27, p<0.05), total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio (r=0.22, p<0.05), uric acid (r=0.15, p<0.05) and a negative correlation between serum hsCRP and HDL-C (r=-0.16, p<0.05). Interestingly, subjects with fatty liver had shown increased serum hsCRP concentration than subjects without fatty liver (0.99 +/- 0.96 vs 0.58 +/- 0.69 mg/L, p<0.05). But there were no correlation of serum hsCRP with the history of smoking, sex, physical activity, fasting plasma glucose and presence of hypertension. After multiple regression analysis, only BMI and age were associated with serum hsCRP. In diabetic subjects, there were significant correlation of serum hsCRP with HDL-C and fasting plasma glucose, but other risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and fatty liver were not. When we compared serum hsCRP according to numbers of risk factors of cardiovascular diseases in nondiabetic subjects, group without risk factors had 0.41 +/- 0.55 mg/L, group with one risk factor had 0.48 +/- 0.40 mg/L, group with two risk factors had 0.75 +/- 0.88 mg/L, group with three risk factors had 1.08 +/- 0.87 mg/L and group with four risk factors had 1.55 +/- 1.21 mg/L. There was significant difference of serum hsCRP according to numbers of risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (p<0.05). CONCLUSION : Serum hsCRP is correlated with risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and may be useful tool for prediction of accelerated, atherosclerotic process in nondiabetic subjects. Although there is association of serum hsCRP with few risk factors of cardiovascular diseases, serum hsCRP is elevated in diabetic subjects. Therefore it is necessary to evaluate usefulness of serum hsCRP using carefully selected diabetic subjects. In addition, our study had shown that subjects with nonalcoholic fatty liver have increased risk of cardiovascular events.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; C-Reactive Protein* ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Coronary Disease ; Fasting ; Fatty Liver ; Food Habits ; Health Promotion ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Life Style ; Limit of Detection ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Osteoarthritis ; Risk Factors* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides ; Ultrasonography ; Uric Acid