Hyponatremia is frequently seen in intracranial hemorrhagic patients and has been often attributed to inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone. But in recent years, a number of studies have shown that hyponatremia in many patients with intracranial disease may actually be caused by cerebral salt wasting (CSW) syndrome and circulating Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) are probably involved. This report describes a patient who developed bacterial meningites caused by pseudomonas aeruginosa and CSW syndrome after removal of pituitary adenoma. CSW syndrome resolved by fluid and salt replacement after 4 months.
Humans ; Hyponatremia ; Meningitis* ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Pituitary Neoplasms* ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Pseudomonas* ; Wasting Syndrome*

We compared genetic variations in the VP1 gene of foot-and-mouth disease viruses (FMDVs) isolated since 2000 from various region of the world. We analyzed relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) and phylogenetic relationship between geographical regions, and calculated the genetic substitution patterns between Korean isolate and those from other countries. We calculated the ratios of synonymously substituted codons (SSC) to all observed substitutions and developed a new analytical parameter, EMC (the ratio of exact matching codons within each synonymous substitution group) to investigate more detailed substitution patterns within each synonymous codon group. We observed that FMDVs showed distinct RSCU patterns according to phylogenetic relationships in the same serotype (serotype O). Moreover, while the SSC and EMC values of FMDVs decreased according to phylogenetic distance, G + C composition at the third codon position was strictly conserved. Although there was little variation among the SSC values of 18 amino acids, more dynamic differences were observed in EMC values. The EMC values of 4- and 6-fold degenerate amino acids showed significantly lower values while most 2-fold degenerate amino acids showed no significant difference. Our findings suggest that different EMC patterns among the 18 amino acids might be an important factor in determining the direction of evolution in FMDV.
Animals ; Capsid Proteins/*genetics ; Cattle ; Codon/*genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease/diagnosis/epidemiology/*virology ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Gene Frequency ; Geography ; Korea ; Phylogeography ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; RNA, Viral/*analysis ; Species Specificity

We compared genetic variations in the VP1 gene of foot-and-mouth disease viruses (FMDVs) isolated since 2000 from various region of the world. We analyzed relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) and phylogenetic relationship between geographical regions, and calculated the genetic substitution patterns between Korean isolate and those from other countries. We calculated the ratios of synonymously substituted codons (SSC) to all observed substitutions and developed a new analytical parameter, EMC (the ratio of exact matching codons within each synonymous substitution group) to investigate more detailed substitution patterns within each synonymous codon group. We observed that FMDVs showed distinct RSCU patterns according to phylogenetic relationships in the same serotype (serotype O). Moreover, while the SSC and EMC values of FMDVs decreased according to phylogenetic distance, G + C composition at the third codon position was strictly conserved. Although there was little variation among the SSC values of 18 amino acids, more dynamic differences were observed in EMC values. The EMC values of 4- and 6-fold degenerate amino acids showed significantly lower values while most 2-fold degenerate amino acids showed no significant difference. Our findings suggest that different EMC patterns among the 18 amino acids might be an important factor in determining the direction of evolution in FMDV.
Animals ; Capsid Proteins/*genetics ; Cattle ; Codon/*genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease/diagnosis/epidemiology/*virology ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Gene Frequency ; Geography ; Korea ; Phylogeography ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; RNA, Viral/*analysis ; Species Specificity

Structural information has been a major concern for biological and pharmaceutical studies for its intimate relationship to the function of a protein. Three-dimensional representation of the positions of protein atoms is utilized among many structural information repositories that have been published. The reliability of the torsional system, which represents the native processes of structural change in the structural analysis, was partially proven with previous structural alignment studies. Here, a web server providing structural information and analysis based on the backbone torsional representation of a protein structure is newly introduced. The web server offers functions of secondary structure database search, secondary structure calculation, and pair-wise protein structure comparison, based on a backbone torsion angle representation system. Application of the implementation in pair-wise structural alignment showed highly accurate results. The information derived from this web server might be further utilized in the field of ab initio protein structure modeling or protein homology-related analyses.
Databases, Protein ; Protein Structure, Secondary

Lipomas are the most frequent soft tissue tumors. They tend to occur singly or in limited numbers, but about 5% of patients have multiple tumors. Liposarcoma of the spermatic cord is a rare tumor. Most of them are low-grade malignancies and treatment is radical orchiectomy with wide local excision. We report a case of spermatic cord liposarcoma with multiple lipomas elsewhere occurring in a 66-year-old man who had a history of lipomas. Radical inguinal orchiectomy and excision of lipoma in the thigh were performed as a treatment. The patient has survived 12 months without evidence of recurrence.
Aged ; Humans ; Lipoma* ; Liposarcoma* ; Orchiectomy ; Recurrence ; Spermatic Cord* ; Thigh

For many years, the histogenesis of the granular cell tumor was controversial and this resulted in the tumor being given more than 20 synonyms. Abrikossoff, reporting on the fiist granular cell tomor, favored a muscle origin, but other authora have postulated a fibroblastic or a histiocytic origin. Recently, the concept of Schwann cell origin, supported by electron microscopic studies and immunohistochemistry of S-100 protein, has gained wider recognition. Approximately 90 cases of esophageal granular cell tumor have been reported in the literature, representing about 2% incidence of all reported granular cell tumor, In Korea, only four cases of granular cell tumors were reported in the literatures including the cases occuring in the cecum, colon, and anus until now. Recently we experienced 46-years old women with granular cell tumor of the esophagus, which might be the second case in Korean literature.
Anal Canal ; Cecum ; Colon ; Esophagus* ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Granular Cell Tumor* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Incidence ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; S100 Proteins

OBJECTIVE: This study was to investigate the generation of the functional neuron derived from human embryonic stem(hES,MB03) cells on in vitro neural cell differentiation system. METHODS: For neural progenitor cell formation derived from hES cells, we produced embryoid bodies (EB: for 5 days, without mitogen) from hES cells and then neurospheres (for 7~10 days, 20 ng/ml of bFGF added N2 medium) from EB. And then finally for the differentiation into mature neuron, neural progenitor cells were cultured in i) N2 medium only (without bFGF),ii) N2 supplemented with 20 ng/ml platelet derived growth factor-bb (PDGF-bb) or iii) N2 supplemented with 5 ng/ml brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) for 2 weeks. Identification of neural cell differentiation was carried out by immunocytochemistry using betaIII-tubulin (1:100) and GFAP (1:500). Also, generation of functional neuron was identified using anti-glutamate (Sigma, 1:1000), anti-GABA (Sigma, 1:1000), anti-serotonin (Sigma, 1:1000) and anti-tyrosine hydroxylase (Sigma, 1:1000). RESULTS: In vitro neural cell differentiation, neurotrophic factors (PDGF and BDNF) treated cell groups were high expressed MAP-2 and GFAP than non-treated cell group. The highest expression pattern of MAP-2 and betaIII-tubulin was indicated in BDNF treated group. Also, in the presence of PDGF-bb or BDNF, mostof the neural cells derived from hES cells were differentiated into gultamate and GABA neuron in vitro. Furthermore, we confirmed that there were a few serotonin and tyrosine hydroxylase positive neuron in the same culture environment. CONCLUSION: This results suggested that the generation of functional neuron derived from hES cells was increased by addition of neurotrophic factors such as PDGF-bb or BDNF in b-FGF induced neural cell differentiation system and especially gultamate and GABA neurons were mainly produced in the system.
Blood Platelets ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor* ; Cell Differentiation* ; Embryoid Bodies ; Embryonic Stem Cells* ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; Humans* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Nerve Growth Factors ; Neurons* ; Serotonin ; Stem Cells ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of the interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB)-related uveitis (TRU). METHODS: Records from 181 patients with ocular signs and symptoms suggestive of TRU and intraocular inflammation of unknown etiology were reviewed. All subjects underwent clinical and laboratory testing, including IGRA, to rule out presence of underlying disease. A diagnosis of presumed TRU was made based on an internist's TB diagnosis and a patient's response to anti-TB therapy. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values of IGRA for TRU diagnosis were calculated. Clinical characteristics were compared between patients with positive and negative IGRA results. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of IGRA for TRU were 100% and 72.0%, respectively. Mean age, percentage of patients with retinal vasculitis, and the anatomic type of uveitis were significantly different between patients with positive and negative IGRA results (all p < or = 0.001). Positive IGRA rates and false-positive rates were significantly different between age and anatomic type groups (both p = 0.001). The positive predictive value of the IGRA among patients with intraocular inflammation was high (70%) when all of younger age (< or =40 years), posterior uveitis, and retinal vasculitis were present. CONCLUSIONS: The IGRA is useful for diagnosing TRU in the Korean population, especially when it is used as a screening test. Clinical characteristics, including younger age (< or =40 years), posterior uveitis, and retinal vasculitis in IGRA-positive patients, increase the likelihood of the patient having TRU.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Interferon-gamma/*analysis ; Interferon-gamma Release Tests/*methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Reproducibility of Results ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis, Ocular/*diagnosis/epidemiology/microbiology ; Uveitis/*diagnosis/epidemiology/microbiology ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Among the various methods for chemical peeling, it is possible to select a wide range of peeling agents for particular patients. OBJECTIVES: The objective of present study was to investigate the effects of various chemical peeling agents on the epidermal permeability barrier of hairless mice skin and to clarify the histologic alteration in epidermal structure, thus to apply in the clinical practices. METHODS: We have applied 35% and 70% glycolic acid (GA) aqueous solutions, 30% of salicylic acid (SA) solution of PEG400, Jessner's solution and 15%, 30% and 50% of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) aqueous solution to the flank of hairless mice. TEWL (trans-epidermal water loss) values were measured before and immediately after the application and 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours following treatment. Biopsy specimens were evaluated with light and electron microscopy for epidermal structural changes. RESULTS: There were no significant changes in TEWL for the GA and SA solution treated skin, regardless of their concentration. For the TCA and Jessner's solution, TEWL increased immediately after treatment and recovered the basal levels about 90% after 24 hours for Jessner's solution and low concentrated TCA solution, but did not recovered for high concentrated TCA solution. On light and electron microscopic examination, exfoliating effect was seen in every case and as for SA and Jessner's solution treated skin, keratolysis at hair follicles was also seen. Slight epidermal necrosis was seen in every case, except in GA treated skin. CONCLUSION: The present results suggest that using topical agents such as glycolic acid can induce the change in the architecture of the epidermis without disrupting the skin barrier.
Animals ; Biopsy ; Epidermis ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Hairless ; Microscopy, Electron ; Necrosis ; Permeability ; Salicylic Acid ; Skin* ; Trichloroacetic Acid

Asthma is a chronic disease associated with airway constriction due to inflammation caused by eosinophils, mast cells, and T lymphocytes, leading to serious chronic illness in children. The eotaxin gene family has been shown to play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma. We hypothesized that the distinctive variations among the four seasons in Korea may affect the expression of eotaxin polymorphisms, especially in children. We examined the possible effects of birth season (spring, March-May; summer, June-August; fall, September-November; and winter, December-February) on the phenotype of asthma in children. All SNP data sets of the eotaxin-2 and eotaxin-3 genes were collected from 78 asthma patients and 101 controls. Here, we investigated the effects of birth season on the expression of eotaxin-2 and eotaxin-3 in Korean children. Using the HAPLOTYPE procedure with the HTR method in SAS/Genetics, we showed that children born in spring and summer show significant haplotypes in both the eotaxin-2 and eotaxin-3 genes. Thus, the expression of polymorphisms in eotaxin-2 and eotaxin-3 may vary by season.
Asthma ; Chemokine CCL24 ; Child ; Chronic Disease ; Constriction ; Eosinophils ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Korea ; Mast Cells ; Parturition ; Phenotype ; Seasons ; T-Lymphocytes