Objectives: Dental caries and periodontal disease are infectious and chronic diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate the antimicrobial effect of mentha extracts against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans ) and Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis ). Methods: This activity of mentha extracts were confirmed by the disk diffusion test and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and colony forming unit (CFU) assays. Results: S. mutans and P. gingivalis showed the highest antimicrobial activity within the inhibition zones. The antimicrobial activity was interrupted as the MIC and MBC of the herbal extracts against the two bacteria were 1 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml, respectively. The antimicrobial effect was determined by the CFU assay. Conclusions Mentha herb extract demonstrated potential antimicrobial activity against S. mutans and P. gingivalis that cause dental caries and periodontal disease.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of Bioactive glass on bone regeneration in the experimental mandibular bone defects. Five rabbits, weighing about 2.0kg, were used. Three artificial bone defects, 5x5x5mm in size, were made at the inferior border of the mandible. In the experimental group 1, the bone defect was grafted with Biogran and covered with Bio-Gide resorbable membrane. In the experimental group 2, Biogran was grafted only. In the control group, the bone defect was filled with blood clot and was spontaneously healed. The animals were sacrificed at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after the graft. Microscopic examination was performed. Results obtained were as follows: In the control group, the osteoid tissue was observed at week 1 and the bone trabeculi were connected each other and matured at week 2. The lamellar bone formation appeared at week 4, and the amount of bone tissue was increased at week 8. In the experimental group 1, the fibrous tissue was filled between the granules of Bioactive glass and the cartilage formation was found adjacent to the normal bone at week 1. The bone tissue was formed between the granules at week 2, while the amount of bone tissue increased and the lamellar bone formation was observed at week 4. The lamellar bone was increased at week 8. Histologic findings were Similar between the experimental groups 1 and 2, although the amount of Bioactive glass granules lost was increased in the latter. These results suggest that new bone formation is found around the Bioactive glass granules grafted into the bone defects, and the membrane plays a role in keeping the granules and preventing the fibrous tissue invasion.
Animals ; Bone and Bones ; Bone Regeneration* ; Cartilage ; Glass* ; Mandible ; Membranes* ; Osteogenesis ; Rabbits ; Transplants

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the polymorphisms of the TNF-alpha promotor gene, its susceptibility to Kawasaki disease (KD) and to assess whether the TNF-alpha promotor gene polymorphism was related the risk of coronary artery lesions (CALs). METHODS: From January 2003 to January 2007, 51 children (30 boys and 21 girls) with KD and 48 children forming an age-matched control group were studied. DNA from the peripheral blood of all the children was sampled, and the DNA polymorphisms of the 5' flanking regions of the TNF-alpha promoter gene at position -308 [guanine (G) to adenine (A)] were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Then, the relationship between KD and the TNF-alpha promotor gene polymorphisms was evaluated. RESULTS: The A allele frequency of the -308 site of the TNF-alpha promotor gene was 17.6% (9/51) for children with KD and 6.8% (3/48) for the control group children, but this result was not statistically significant. Twenty-four patients experienced CALs within 60 days after the onset of symptoms. KD children with TNF-alpha -308 A allele had lower frequencies of CALs (12.5% versus 22.2%, P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The DNA polymorphism of the -308 site TNF-alpha gene was not associated with susceptibility to KD and a risk of CALs. Multicenter, large-scale randomized controlled trials are needed for further study.
5' Flanking Region ; Adenine ; Alleles ; Child ; Coronary Vessels ; DNA ; Gene Frequency ; Humans ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of the different regimens of immobilization after surgery in a rabbit model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed on the right Achilles tendon of 30 rabbits. Modified Kessler method was used to suture the transected tendon. Rabbits were divided into three groups, Group I (n=10) underwent long leg cast with equinus position for 6 weeks, Group II (n=10) underwent weekly cast correction to full dorsiflexion from 1 week after surgery, and Group III (n=10) underwent daily correction of equinous position with external fixator from 1 week after surgery. The contralateral Achilles tendon served as an unoperated control. And three groups were compared at 6 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: The maximal load at rupture (N) was 55.50, 97.46, 140.27, 180.98 for group I, II, III and control respectively. The strain was 0.44, 0.49, 0.74, 0.67. The stiffness (N/mm) was 9.63, 17.87, 19.01, 23.33. The absorbed energy to rupture (J) was 12.23, 23.98, 51.20, 60.78. Values among groups were significantly different considering the maximal load, strain, stiffness, and absorbed energy to rupture (p<0.05). Histological finding was revealed more mature restoration and more parallel arrangement of fiber bundles in the group II, and especially group III. Achilles tendon rupture, Maximal load, Strain, Stiffness, Tensile loading. CONCLUSION: Tensile loading of the healing tendon by postoperative continuous correction leads to changes in more similar to the normal Achilles tendon, biomechanically and historically.
Achilles Tendon* ; External Fixators ; Immobilization ; Leg ; Rabbits ; Rupture ; Sutures ; Tendons

Abscess ; Branchial Region ; Branchioma ; Clavicle ; Diagnostic Errors ; Drainage ; Epithelium ; Female ; Fistula ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lymphoid Tissue ; Male ; Neck ; Pregnancy ; Recurrence

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate abnormal findings of social brain network in Korean children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared with typically developing children (TDC). METHODS: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed to examine brain activations during the processing of emotional faces (happy, fearful, and neutral) in 17 children with ASD, 24 TDC. RESULTS: When emotional face stimuli were given to children with ASD, various areas of the social brain relevant to social cognition showed reduced activation. Specifically, ASD children exhibited less activation in the right amygdala (AMY), right superior temporal sulcus (STS) and right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) than TDC group when fearful faces were shown. Activation of left insular cortex and right IFG in response to happy faces was less in the ASD group. Similar findings were also found in left superior insular gyrus and right insula in case of neutral stimulation. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that children with ASD have different processing of social and emotional experience at the neural level. In other words, the deficit of social cognition in ASD could be explained by the deterioration of the capacity for visual analysis of emotional faces, the subsequent inner imitation through mirror neuron system (MNS), and the ability to transmit it to the limbic system and to process the transmitted emotion.
Amygdala ; Brain* ; Autism Spectrum Disorder* ; Child* ; Cognition ; Humans ; Limbic System ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Mirror Neurons

Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES) is a clinical syndrome caused by excessive gastric acid secretion by gastrinoma, characteristically causing peptic disease and/or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Approximately one third of patients with gastrinoma have multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN-1). A 56-year-old man was admitted for abdominal pain and diarrhea lasting for 2 weeks. The endoscopic findings revealed severe reflux esophagitis and multiple ulcers at the bulb and second portion of the duodenum. He was diagnosed as ZES based on typical clinical features such as markedly elevated fasting gastrin level (> or =1,263 pg/mL) and findings from a CT scan and somatostatin receptor scan. Pathologic findings after the operation revealed malignant gastrinoma. He was confirmed to have parathyroid adenoma and MEN-1. Despite antisecretory therapy with proton pump inhibitors, an esophageal stricture developed, and we performed esophageal balloon dilatation and stent insertion.
Abdominal Pain ; Diarrhea ; Dilatation ; Duodenum ; Esophageal Stenosis ; Esophagitis, Peptic ; Fasting ; Gastric Acid ; Gastrinoma ; Gastrins ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 ; Parathyroid Neoplasms ; Proton Pump Inhibitors ; Receptors, Somatostatin ; Stents ; Ulcer ; Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical outcomes between anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) and basiliximab induction in deceased donor kidney transplantation (DDKT). METHODS: Between May 2006 and February 2015, 40 patients underwent DDKT at our institution. Three cases (7.5%) of them were lost during the following-up schedule. In this study, ATG induction criteria were donor age >50 years old or donor creatinine level >1.3 mg/dL except hepatitis B virus positive and hepatitis C virus positive recipients. Recipients were divided into two groups: the ATG group (n=20) and the basiliximab group (n=17). RESULTS: The 1-year patient survival in the ATG group was 89.4% compared to 93.8% in the basiliximab group (P=0.989). Graft survival for a 1 year in the ATG and the basiliximab group was 89.1% and 93.8%, respectively (P=0.967). Incidences of acute rejection episodes were more prevalent in the basiliximab group (15.0% vs. 29.4%, P=0.428). The glomerular filtration rate level by period of recipients was not different in both group (12th month, 64.60+/-16.17 mg/dL vs. 68.51+/-18.60 mg/dL, P=0.544). The overall complications during the follow-up were not significantly different in both groups (90.0% vs. 76.5%, P=0.383). CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that there was no difference in the patient survival and graft survival between induction of ATG and basiliximab of the DDKT were not different. Therefore, use of both induction agents led to a good patient and graft survival and ATG might be a safe and preferable agent for relatively poor renal function of donor in kidney transplantation.
Antilymphocyte Serum* ; Appointments and Schedules ; Creatinine ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Graft Survival ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Tissue Donors*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Ghrelin has recently been reported as exerting a protective effect in the damaged pancreas in rats. We investigated the correlation between severity of acute pancreatitis and serum ghrelin concentrations. METHODS: Blood samples were collected three times (at admission, after 48 hours, and at discharge) from patients admitted with acute pancreatitis. We divided the patients into nonrisk and risk groups. The risk group was defined as the presence of at least one of following risk factors for severe acute pancreatitis: Ranson's score > or =3, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score > or =8, C-reactive protein (CRP) > or =150 mg/L, and CT severity index (CTSI) > or =4. Serum ghrelin concentrations were measured with RIA kit and analyzed based on clinical and biochemical parameters. RESULTS: A total of 53 patients was enrolled in this study: 28 in the nonrisk group and 25 in the risk group. At admission, the ghrelin concentration was significantly higher in the risk group (286.39+/-272.19 vs 175.96+/-138.87 pg/mL [mean+/-SD], p=0.049). However, the ghrelin concentration did not differ significantly between the two groups after 48 hours (p=0.450) and at discharge (p=0.678). The overall ghrelin concentration was significantly lower at admission than at discharge (240.65+/-247.96 vs 369.41+/-254.27 pg/mL, p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with risk factors for severe acute pancreatitis have higher serum ghrelin concentrations.
Animals ; APACHE ; C-Reactive Protein ; Ghrelin ; Humans ; Pancreas ; Pancreatitis ; Rats ; Risk Factors

Aerococcus viridans is a rare pathogen in humans, with only six cases of A. viridans urinary tract infections reported worldwide. Nosocomial urinary tract infections with bacteremia caused by A. viridians are even rarer, with no prior reports of urosepsis caused by A. viridans occurring in the Republic of Korea. Here we report a case of urosepsis caused by A. viridans in a 79 year-old female nursing home resident. The patient was admitted to the hospital presenting a fever of 39degrees C, chills, and oliguria for two days prior to admission. Urine culture yielded a robust growth of 105 CFU/mL of A. viridians, with blood culture positive for the same organism. Following diagnosis, the patient was treated with ciprofloxacin intravenously for 2 weeks, resulting in clearance of the infection and a full recovery from urosepsis. Although A. viridans is rarely associated with human infections, this case shows that, under the right conditions, it can be responsible for severe infections like urosepsis.
Aerococcus* ; Bacteremia ; Chills ; Ciprofloxacin ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Nursing Homes ; Oliguria ; Republic of Korea ; Urinary Tract Infections