Leg ; Osteogenesis, Distraction

Ubiquitin-positive neuritic threads (UNTS) in the hippocampal CA 2-3 region are reported to occur exclusively in association with so-called diffuse Lewy body disease (DLBD). hi order to assess the association between the occurrence of Lewy bodies (LBs) and that of the UNTs, an immunohistochemical study on the hippocampus including the parahippocampal gyrus with antiubiquitin antibody (Chemicon Co., California, U.S.A.) was perfon-ned in four groups of patient's brains. All brains were selected from the large pool of brains referred to the Neuropadiology Laboratory of the University of Minnesota for studies of Alzheimer's disease. Group 1 consisted of 34 cases (20 male and 14 female) with LBs widespread in the frontal and temporal cortex and the brain stem nuclei (basal nucleus, substantia nigra, locus ceruleus and dorsal vagal nucleus) associated with varying degrees of degeneration of the substantia nigra; 21 (11 male and 10 female) combined with and 13 (9 male and 4 female) without Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Group 2 included 12 cases (9 male and 3 female) in which LBs were observed only in the brain stem nuclei; 7 with and 4 without AD pathology. Group 3 consisted of 30 cases (9 male and 21 female) without LBs but with AD pathology and degeneration of the substantia nigra. Group 4 included 23 cases (11 male and 12 female) with neither LBs nor AD pathology but with degeneration of the substantia nigra. Ages of the patients varied among the groups. In the 46 cases in the first two groups with LBs. The mean age in the 28 cases with AD pathology was 77.3+/-8.9 and in the 18 cases without AD pathology it was 71.6+/-8.8 (P<0.05). In the 53 cases in groups 3 and 4 without LBs, which served as the controls, the mean ages were 80.8+/-7.7 and 74.0+/-9.7 respectively. UNTs were encountered in all (100%) of 34 cases of group I with widespread LBs which met the histological criteria of DLBD regardless of combined AD pathology. In 12 cases of group 2 with LBs confined to the brain stem, UNTs occurred in 3 (25%), 1 with and 2 without AD pathology. hi the group 3 cases with only AD pathology, UNTs occurred in 4 (13%) of 30 cases, while no UNTs were encountered in the 23 cases of group 4 without AD pathology or LBs. In conclusion, UNTs in the hippocampal CA 2-3 region occur invariably but not exclusively in association with widespread LBs, frequently when LBs are confined to the brain stem, and infrequently with AD pathology. It seems, therefore, that the UNTs are closely related to LBs and increase in ftequency as LBs spread beyond the brain stem with time, but the pathogenesis of the UNTs is little understood.
Female ; Male ; Humans

No abstract available.
Fetus* ; Humans ; Pregnancy, Twin*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of acupuncture on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) at acupoints suggested by oriental medicine to be related to the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rest/acupuncture-stimulation Tc-99m ECD brain SPECT using a same-dose subtraction method was performed on 54 normal volunteers (34 males, 20 females, age range from 18 to 62 years) using six paradigms: acupuncture at acupoints GV. 20, GV. 26, LI. 4, ST. 36 and SP. 6. In the control study, needle location was chosen on a non-meridian focus 1 cm posterior to the right fibular head. All images were spatially normalized, and the differences between rest and acupuncture stimulation were statistically analyzed using SPM for Windows . RESULTS: Acupuncture applied at acupoint GV. 20 increased rCBF in both the anterior frontal lobes, the right frontotemporal lobes, and the left anterior temporal lobe and the left cerebellar hemisphere. Acupuncture at GV. 26 increased rCBF in the left prefrontal cortex. Acupuncture at LI. 4 increased rCBF in the left prefrontal and both the inferior frontal lobes, and the left anterior temporal lobe and the left cerebellar hemisphere. Acupuncture at ST. 36 increased rCBF in the left anterior temporal lobe, the right inferior frontal lobes, and the left cerebellum. Acupuncture at SP. 6 increased rCBF in the left inferior frontal and anterior temporal lobes. In the control stimulation, no significant rCBF increase was observed. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated a correlation between stimulation at each acupoint with increase in rCBF to the corresponding brain areas.
Acupuncture Points* ; Acupuncture* ; Brain* ; Cerebellum ; Female ; Frontal Lobe ; Head ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Needles ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Temporal Lobe ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Ectopic pregnancy is a common medical problem that is difficult to diagnose and potentially may lead to significant mortality or morbidity. The incidence of ectopic pregnancy is definitely increasing due to the rise in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), pelvic surgery, intrauterine device (IUD), and assisted reproductive technologies, such as in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Combined ectopic gestations are much rare and their true incidence is unknown. Multiple ectopic gestations may occur in a variety of locations. The majority involve one or both fallopian tubes. We report a case of combined tubal and cervical pregnancies, and discuss their management.
Embryo Transfer ; Fallopian Tubes ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Incidence ; Intrauterine Devices ; Mortality ; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnancy, Ectopic ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted

PURPOSE: In addition to regulating calcium and phosphorus homeostasis and bone metabolism, vitamin D is known as an immune modulator. Recently, there has been increased worldwide interest in the association between low levels of vitamin D and allergic diseases. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and allergic/vasomotor rhinitis (AR/VR) in children. METHODS: This study included 164 patients. The sample included 59 patients with AR, 42 patients with VR, and 63 controls. Their ages ranged from 0 to 16 years. We examined the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, Immunoglobulin E, specific IgE, and eosinophil cationic protein; peripheral blood eosinophil count; and the results of a skin prick test. RESULTS: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were 19.0+/-8.5 ng/mL in the AR group, 25.5+/-10.9 ng/mL in the VR group, and 26.9+/-10.7 ng/mL in the control group. After adjustment for body mass index and season at the time of blood sampling, vitamin D levels in the AR group were lower than those of the VR group (P=0.003) and control group (P<0.001). Vitamin D levels were inversely correlated with Immunoglobulin E levels (r=-0.317, P<0.001). AR patients with food allergy or atopic dermatitis did not have lower levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D than AR patients without these diseases. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates a possible relationship between vitamin D levels and allergic rhinitis in Korean children.
Body Mass Index ; Calcium ; Child* ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein ; Eosinophils ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulins ; Metabolism ; Phosphorus ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Vasomotor* ; Seasons ; Skin ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

INTRODUCTION: Apoptosis is a naturally occurring cell suicide pathway. The absence of a survival factor, such as a particular hormone or growth factor, will induce a cell to initiate its own cell death. This process induced in osteoblast is thought to play a role in the pathophysiology of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Estrogen plays an important role and exerts direct effects on bone cells, but the role in the maintenance of cell survival and apoptosis is poorly understood. Based on the importance of survival factors and cytokines in bone remodeling, some studies suggest that estrogen acts on bone cell by modulation of cytokine production that increases bone resorption. However other studies have not investigated the effect of estrogen on the apoptosis of osteoblast cells. OBJECTIVE: To understand how estrogens regulate the apoptosis of osteoblast cells, the physiologically active etrogen metabolite 17 beta-estradiol was tested to determine its effects on the well characterized murine osteoblastic cell-line MC3T3-E1. METHODS: Experiments were designed to identify the effects of estrogen on TNF-alpha induced apoptosis and cytokine gene expression, and collagen synthesis. RESULTS: 1.Within 48 hours of exposure, recombinant murine at 10(-11)M - 10(-10)M TNF-alpha increased the rates of DNA synthesis and 10(-11)~M - 10(-9)M TNF-alpha reduces cell proliferation. 2.Estrogen treatment coordinately increased DNA contents, cell proliferation and collagen synthetic activity. 3.10(-10)M TNF-alpha increased the IL-1beta, IL-6 gene expression. 4.Estrogen attenuated the TNF-alpha- dependent increase in these gene expression. 5.Murine osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells underwent apoptosis following removal of serum, or addition of TNF-alpha, as indicated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling and DNA fragmentation studies. 6.Estrogen inhibited the apoptosis of osteoblast cells induced by 10(-10)M TNF-alpha but not to the levels observed in those control. CONCLUSION: This in vitro evidence suggests that estrogen might exert at least part of antiapoptotic inflence on the bone cells.
Apoptosis* ; Bone Remodeling ; Bone Resorption ; Cell Death ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Survival ; Collagen ; Cytokines ; DNA ; DNA Fragmentation ; Estradiol ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Gene Expression* ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; Necrosis* ; Osteoblasts* ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; Suicide ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

No abstract available.
Brain* ; Child* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging*

No abstract available.
Osteoblasts* ; Treponema denticola* ; Treponema*

Krabbe's disease is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by hemiplegia, paraplegia, ataxia, cortical blindness, and peripheral neuropathy. This disease is caused by deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme galactocerebroside beta-galactosidase(GALC), resulting in demyelination of white matter of brain and peripheral nerve. We reported a 38-year-old female developed a slowly progressive weakness of lower extremities and gait disturbance since age of 10. Neurological examination revealed spastic weakness of both lower extremities, hyperactive deep tendon reflexes and intrinsic muscle atrophy of both hands and feet. Electrophysiologic study showed uniform demyelinating sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy. T2-weighted brain MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) findings revealed symmetric high signal intensity along the bilateral corticospinal tract. The diagnosis of Krabbe's disease was confirmed by finding of markedly reduced GALC activity in leukocyte. We recommended to consider Krabbe's disease in the diagnosis of patients affecting both central and peripheral nervous system.
Adult ; Ataxia ; Blindness, Cortical ; Brain ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Foot ; Gait ; Hand ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; Leukodystrophy, Globoid Cell* ; Lower Extremity ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscle Spasticity ; Muscular Atrophy ; Neurologic Examination ; Paraplegia ; Peripheral Nerves ; Peripheral Nervous System ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Pyramidal Tracts ; Reflex, Stretch