PURPOSE: To determine the effectiveness of percutaneous transarterial embolization for the treatment of arteriovenous malformation (AVM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven patients with AVMs located in the kidney, liver, lung, chest wall, uterus and paraspinal region underwent angiography and percutaneous transarterial embolization. The embolic materials used were steel coil, gelfoam, contour emboli, and absolute alcohol; in some cases, more than one of these were employed. The analysed the angiographic findings and clinical status following embolization were assessed and analysed. RESULTS: The AVMs had tortuous, dilated feeding arteries (n=7) and veins with early venous drainage (n=6). In the hepatic AVM, a grape-like dilated vessel arose from the hepatic artery and was connected to the portal vein. In the uterine AVM, numerous dilated feeding arteries formed a honeycomb. In the feeding arteries of the chest wall AVM and in the nidus of the pulmonary AVM, aneurysms were present. In simple AVMs, the patient's symptoms were relieved by first embolization. Complex AVMs, however, required repeated embolizations for symptomatic relief. Although extensive, complex AVMs of the chest wall and uterus recurred after initial embolization, repeated treatment successfully improved the clinical status of such patients. The complications developing after emboliation were fever (n=3) and pain (n=3), but these were relieved by conservative care. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous transarterial embolization is a safe and effective therapeutic method for the treatment of AVM. In a case of inoperable complex AVM, repeated embolization is the only method for symptomatic relief and the maintenance of life.
Aneurysm ; Angiography ; Arteries ; Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Drainage ; Ethanol ; Fever ; Gelatin Sponge, Absorbable ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Portal Vein ; Steel ; Thoracic Wall ; Uterus ; Veins

The occurrence of pseudoaneurysm of the femoral artery after catheterization is uncommon. Ultrasonography-guided compression is currently the first choice of treatment, with a success rate of more than 90%. Recently, however, with the increasing use of larger percutaneous instruments and periprocedural anticoagulation, the incidence of pseudoaneurysm unresponsive to ultrasonography-guided compression is increasing. The authors encountered a case of pseudoaneurysm of the common femoral artery which did not respond to the repeated use of this technique, though treatemnt involving was successful. We believe that in ultrasonography-guided percutaneous thrombin injection was successful. We believe that in cases involving occlusion of a a pseudoaneurysm in which ultrasonography-guided mpression has failed, this is a simple, safe, and time-saving procedure.
Aneurysm, False* ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Femoral Artery* ; Incidence ; Thrombin* ; Ultrasonography*

Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Splenic Artery

We experienced a case of Takayasus arteritis with eclampsia in a 43-year-old woman. The patient had angiographically definite Takayasus arteritis with the involvement of right common and internal carotid arteries. On MR images performed at clinical manifestations of eclampsia, unilateral involvement of T2 high signal intensities were demonstrated in right cerebral hemisphere. We report this case with a literature review.
Adult ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Cerebrum ; Eclampsia* ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pregnancy* ; Takayasu Arteritis*

Young Simpson syndrome is a rare malformation syndrome characterized by congenital hypothyroidism, dysmorphic face, mental retardation, severe postnatal growth retardation, hypotonia and congenital heart abnormalities. In the present study, we report a case of 4-year-old girl with Young Simpson syndrome for the first case in Korea.
Child, Preschool ; Congenital Hypothyroidism ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Korea ; Muscle Hypotonia

STAT3 plays a prominent role in proliferation and survival of tumor cells. Thus, STAT3 has been considered to be a prime target for development of anti-cancer therapeutics. The electrophilic cyclopentenone prostaglandin,15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2(15d-PGJ2 ) has been well recognized for its capability to modulate intracellular signaling pathways involved in cancer cell growth and progression. We previously reported that 15d-PGJ2 had potent cytotoxicity against harvey-ras transformed human mammary epithelial cells through direct interaction with STAT3. In this study, we have attempted to verify the inhibitory effects of 15d-PGJ2 on STAT3 signaling in human breast tumor cells. The triple negative breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 displaying constitutive phosphorylation of STAT3 on the tyrosine 705 (Tyr705) residue, underwent apoptosis upon inhibition of STAT3 by 15d-PGJ2 . In contrast, estrogen receptor positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells that do not exhibit elevated STAT3 phosphorylation were much less susceptible to 15d-PGJ2 -induced apoptosis as assessed by PARP cleavage. Furthermore, 15d-PGJ2 inhibited interleukin-6-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3 in LNCaP cells. According to molecular docking studies, 15d-PGJ2 may preferentially bind to the cysteine 259 residue (Cys259) present in the coiled-coil domain of STAT3. Site-directed mutagenesis of STAT3 identified Cys259 to be the critical amino acid for the 15d-PGJ2 -induced apoptosis as well as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Taken together, these findings suggest STAT3 inactivation through direct chemical modification of its Cys259 as a potential therapeutic approach for treatment of triple negative breast cancer treatment.

STAT3 plays a prominent role in proliferation and survival of tumor cells. Thus, STAT3 has been considered to be a prime target for development of anti-cancer therapeutics. The electrophilic cyclopentenone prostaglandin,15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2(15d-PGJ2 ) has been well recognized for its capability to modulate intracellular signaling pathways involved in cancer cell growth and progression. We previously reported that 15d-PGJ2 had potent cytotoxicity against harvey-ras transformed human mammary epithelial cells through direct interaction with STAT3. In this study, we have attempted to verify the inhibitory effects of 15d-PGJ2 on STAT3 signaling in human breast tumor cells. The triple negative breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 displaying constitutive phosphorylation of STAT3 on the tyrosine 705 (Tyr705) residue, underwent apoptosis upon inhibition of STAT3 by 15d-PGJ2 . In contrast, estrogen receptor positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells that do not exhibit elevated STAT3 phosphorylation were much less susceptible to 15d-PGJ2 -induced apoptosis as assessed by PARP cleavage. Furthermore, 15d-PGJ2 inhibited interleukin-6-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3 in LNCaP cells. According to molecular docking studies, 15d-PGJ2 may preferentially bind to the cysteine 259 residue (Cys259) present in the coiled-coil domain of STAT3. Site-directed mutagenesis of STAT3 identified Cys259 to be the critical amino acid for the 15d-PGJ2 -induced apoptosis as well as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Taken together, these findings suggest STAT3 inactivation through direct chemical modification of its Cys259 as a potential therapeutic approach for treatment of triple negative breast cancer treatment.

STUDY DESIGN: In-vitro experiment. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of bone morphogenetic protein-2 in the osteogenesis of human ligamentum flavum cells and test the feasibility of gene transfer to these cells. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) is known to be an important factor in the differentiation and maintenance of the osteoblastic phenotype. Tissue engineering for osteogenesis in ligamentum flavum by BMP-2 and gene transfer has not been previously studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ligmentum flavum cells were harvested and cultured from surgical patients with spinal stenosis. BMP-2 was produced by transfecting pcDNA3.1/Hygro/BMP-2 into CHO cells using Lipofectamine 2000. Adenovirus-lacZ (Ad/lacZ) was also produced, and administered with BMP-2 to cell culture. The expression of lacZ was analyzed by X-gal staining. Bone formation was assessed by alkaline phosphatase, von Kossa, and alizarin Red-S staining, and the expression of osteocalcin was determined immunocytochemically. RESULTS: Ligamentum flavum cell cultures with Ad/lacZ showed marker gene expression. BMP-2 induced osteogenesis in ligamentum flavum cells as evidenced by alkaline phosphatase, von Kosa, and alizarin Red-S staining. Also, cell culture with BMP-2 showed strong positivity with osteocalcin by immunocytochemistry. CONCLUSION: BMP-2 more strongly induced the osteogenesis of ligamentum flavum, and also its gene transfer to ligamentum flavum was found to be feasible. These results may open a new era of ligamentum flavum tissue engineering.
Adenoviridae ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Animals ; Cell Culture Techniques ; CHO Cells ; Cricetinae ; DNA, Complementary* ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Ligamentum Flavum* ; Osteoblasts ; Osteocalcin ; Osteogenesis* ; Phenotype ; Spinal Stenosis ; Tissue Engineering*

PURPOSE: In order to evaluate the time of disappearance of cytomegalovirus(CMV) IgG antibodies from mothers, and the alteration of the positive rate of CMV IgG antibodies among preschool period children, we investigated the positive rate of CMV antibodies among preschool children. METHODS: We studied 391 children who visited the Department of Pediatrics from March, 2001 to February, 2004. We measured the serum CMV IgG of 217 children and the serum CMV IgM of 358 children. RESULTS: The positive rate of CMV IgG antibodies is 83.9 percent(the number of positive IgG children is 182 out of 217). The alteration of the positive rate is 92.9 percent in 0-3 months, 75.0 percent in 4-6 months and the nadir was 20.0 percent in 7-9 months. Then, the positive rate increased to 83.9 percent in 22-24 months. After 22 months, the positive rate was 92.1 percent(the number of positive IgG children was 105 out of 114). The positive rate of CMV IgM antibody by age is 3.3 percent in 0-1 months, 3.6 percent in 1-2 months, 10.5 percent in 2-3 months, 14.3 percent in 3-4 months, 14.3 percent in 4-5 months, and then the results of five children among 148 children were positive. The distribution was one in 22-23 months, one in 25-26 months, one in 27-28 months, one in 28-29 months, one in 40-41 months. We discovered IgM positive children succesively from birth to 5 months, but sporadically after 5 months. CONCLUSION: The CMV IgG from mothers has decreased since birth and the time of nadir is 7-9 months. But it increases to a mean value of 83.9 percent at 22-24 months because of perinatal or postnatal infections.
Antibodies ; Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Cytomegalovirus* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Immunoglobulin M ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Pediatrics

PURPOSE: Measurement of antistreptolysin O (ASO) is often necessary to confirm a clinical diagnosis of recent streptococcal infection, especially in patients suspected of rheumatic fever and acute glomerulonephritis. Standard normal ranges for ASO should be established locally for each age group. We analyzed ASO to determine the upper limit of normal (ULN) ASO in children in the Gyeonggi-Incheon area. METHODS: ASO in normal individual concentrations were measured quantitatively by nephelometry on sera from 753 children (Male:381, Female:372). ULN were determined by separating the upper 20% from the lower 80% of the group (80 percentile). RESULTS: The mean ASO concentration calculated in a total cases was 149.9+/-7.2 IU/mL. The ASO concentration in neonates was 83.4+/-10.7 IU/mL, and lowest in the 1 year of age group, 26.7+/-6.6 IU/ mL, and increased to 318.0+/-33.2 IU/mL gradually in the 9 years of age group. Thereafter, ASO concentration decreased. The ULN for neonates was 122 IU/mL, for 0-3 years, 40 IU/mL; for 4-6 years, 113 IU/ mL; for 7-9 years, 489 IU/mL; for 10-19 years, 433 IU/mL; for 20-29 years, 122 IU/mL. CONCLUSION: The age-specific ULN for children in the Gyeonggi-Incheon area were determined. The distribution of ASO concentration according to age groups was different from previous reports. These results should be of clinical value to physicians to interprete the ASO results of their patients.
Antistreptolysin* ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Glomerulonephritis ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; Pediatrics ; Reference Values ; Rheumatic Fever ; Streptococcal Infections