The cysteine proteases of Paragonimus westermani metacercariae are involved in metacercarial excystment, host immune modulation, and possibly in tissue penetration. In order to clarify the origin of the enzymes, 28 and 27 kDa cysteine proteases in metacercarial excretory-secretory products were purified through the FPLC system using Mono Q column chromatography. The polyclonal antibodies to the enzymes were produced in BALB/c mice. Immunolocalization studies revealed that both cysteine proteases were distributed at the linings of excretory bladder and excretory concretions of the metacercariae. It was suggested that the excretory epithelium of P. westermani undertake the secretory function of metacercarial cysteine proteases, in addition to its role as a route for eliminating waste products.
Animals ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Computational Biology ; Cysteine Endopeptidases/analysis/isolation & purification/*physiology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Paragonimus/anatomy & histology/*enzymology ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Recent studies suggest that alterations of the immune-inflammatory system contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Neuroinflammatory response initiated by innate immune mechanism that self-attack on neurons, known as "autotoxicity" could be an initial key mechanism of chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Numerous experimental and pathological evidences showing upregulated inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and the activation of complement cascade and accumulation of activated microglia in damaged regions support the important role of immune-inflammatory mechanism in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Epidemiological studies on the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), coupled with results from animal model of AD, PD and ALS, have prompted the studies to determine if immune-inflammatory modifying agents or molecules could be a new therapeutic paradigm of neurodegenerative diseases. Molecules inhibiting proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines released from microglia, agents that inhibit activation of microglia, COX2 and complement system are now considered as a good candidate of immune-inflammatory modulating treatment. By better understanding inflammatory and immunoregulatory processes, it should be possible to develop anti-inflammatory approach that may not completely cure AD, PD, and ALS but will likely help slow the progression or delay the onset of these devastating diseases.
Alzheimer Disease* ; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ; Chemokines ; Complement System Proteins ; Cytokines ; Microglia ; Models, Animal ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neurons ; Parkinson Disease

No abstract available.
Intracranial Hypotension*

PURPOSE: Although many studies on the clinicopathological characteristics of signet ring cell (SRC) carcinoma of the stomach have been made, there is no consistent report of the characteristics and prognosis of this condition. In this study, the clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with SRC and non-SRC gastric cancer were compared. METHODS: Between 1990 and 2002, 1,884 patients, who underwent a curative resection for gastric cancer in our hospital, were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 185 (9.8%) patients with SRC were compared with 1,699 (90.2%) patients with non-SRC. RESULTS: SRC in gastric cancer was found more commonly in younger patients and women. The depth of the invasion in the SRC patients was less invasive and a lymph node metastasis is less frequent. A higher frequency of the depressed gross type and middle third tumor location in SRC are similar characteristics of the undifferentiated type of gastric cancer. However, SRC in EGC have similar characteristics to the differentiated type of gastric cancer such as a higher rate of mucosa-confined tumors and less frequent lymph node metastasis. The five-year survival rate of SRC in AGC was similar to that of other pathologic types, and the pathologic type does not influence the survival rate. CONCLUSION: SRC patient in EGC should be considered as a differentiated type. Therefore, the mucosa confined tumor and less frequent lymph node metastases are expected.
Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell* ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pathology ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: It is important to diagnose paragonimiasis in early active stage because it can be dured by chemotherapy. However, it is difficult to make a correct diagnosis of cerebral paragonimiasis in the early active stage, and the radiographic findings of cerebral paragonimiasis have been rarely reported. Thus, this experimental study was designed to produce early active cerebral paragonimiasis and to demonstrate radiologic-pathologic correlations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 8 cats, 7-8 metacercariae of Paragonimus westerrnani were directly introduced into the brain parenchyma of each cat's after trephination of the skull. In anogher 16 cats, the juvenile worms and the adult worms that had developed for varying periods (2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks) in the lunges of another cats were introduced into the brain parenchyma of each cat's with the same procedures described above. Follw-up MR images and chest radiographs were obtained at 2 days, 1 weeks, 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after innoculation. The autopsies and histopathological examinations of the cat's brain were undertaken in 22 cats. In 9 cats that were suspected with pulmonary lesions on chest radiograph, the soft tissue radiographs of inflated-fixed lungs were obtained. RESULTS: In one cat with innoculation of adult worm, acute suppurative inflammation of the brain parenchyma was demonstrated. But the other cats with innoculction of adult worm or juvenile worm and the cats with innoulation of metacercaris did not reveal any evidence of acute cerebral paragonimiasis. More than half of the introduced metacercariae(5 out of 8 cats) were found in the lung parenchyma, while only 25%(4 out of 16 cats) of the adult worm innoculated cats were. CONCLUSION: Acute suppurative inflammation suggesting acute stage cerebral paragonimiasis was obtained in one case of adult worm innoculated cat. Most of the innoculated metacercariae and some of the juvenile worms or adult worms were migrated to the lungs.
Adult ; Animals ; Autopsy ; Brain ; Cats* ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lung ; Metacercariae ; Paragonimiasis* ; Paragonimus ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Skull ; Trephining

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the true extent of non-responsiveness in full-term infants born from HBsAg-negative or HBsAg-positive mothers and vaccinated against hepatitis B virus (HBV) at 0, 1, and 6 months of age and to evaluate the effect of revaccination among non-responders. METHODS: The study included 716 full-term infants born in 2004-2007. Of 716, 662 infants (A group) were born to HBsAg- negative mothers and 54 infants (B group: 50, except HBsAg-positive infants) were born to HBsAg-positive mothers. All infants were administered DNA recombinant vaccines at 0, 1, and 6 months of age. B group infants received hepatitis B immunoglobulin at birth. Anti-HBs titers were tested at 7-12 and 9-15 months in A and B groups, respectively. Three revaccination doses were administered to non-responders whose anti-HBs titers were under 10 mIU/ml; revaccinated infants were retested at 1-3 months after last vaccination. The association between HBeAg seropositivity of mother and the failure of HBV immunoprophylaxis was evaluated. RESULTS: The seroconversion rates after primary hepatitis B vaccination were higher in A group (94.1%) than in B group (78%, P<0.001). The seroconversion rates were high in revaccinated infants (A group non-responders: 96.9%, B group non- responders: 87.5%). The failure of HBV immunoprophylaxis was significantly associated with maternal HBeAg seropositivity (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The seroconversion rates after primary hepatitis B vaccination were low in B group infants. Revaccination of non-responders in B group was very effective. Therefore, anti-HBs testing and revaccination of B group is very important. Revaccination of non-responders in A group was also very effective. Thus, testing the immune status of infants born to HBsAg-negative mothers even after primary hepatitis B vaccination should be considered. However, to realize this, further studies on the cost-effectiveness of anti-HBs testing in healthy full-term infants are necessary.
DNA ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Immunization, Secondary ; Immunoglobulins ; Infant ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Vaccination ; Vaccines, Synthetic

OBJECTIVES: No evidence has been found on various types of dental erosion, except for occupational dental erosion. This study aimed to evaluate the distribution of four types of dental erosion (occupational, dietary, systemic, and gastric) and its associated factors among workers in factories that use acids. METHODS: Of 89,034 workers from 4,625 factories that use acids, 716 workers from 38 factories were selected for this cross-sectional epidemiological study by using three-stage stratified cluster sampling. Evaluation for dental erosion was performed by a trained dentist by using Kim's criteria, and a saliva sample was collected directly from each participant. Data on acid sources and associated factors were collected by using questionnaires. By using a complex sample analysis, the T test and Rao-Scott chi-square test were applied to analyze the distribution of four acid factors and to evaluate the associated factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of overall dental erosion was 37.7% for occupational dental erosion, 23.1% for dietary dental erosion, 3.1% for systemic dental erosion, and 3.2% for gastric dental erosion. The prevalence of severe dental erosion was 10.5% for occupational dental erosion, 7.1% for dietary dental erosion, 1.8% for systemic dental erosion, and 1.7% for gastric dental erosion. The factors associated with dental erosion were age, sex, acid exposure, dental cervical abrasion, and dental attrition. CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed that the prevalence of dental erosion was high, moderate, and low in occupational, dietary, and gastric and systemic dental erosions, respectively, among workers exposed to acids. The related factors differed according to the types of dental erosion. Our data suggested that different types of promotion programs for dental erosion should be considered according to acid source.
Dentists ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Saliva ; Tooth Attrition

BACKGROUND: Despite the importance of soft tissue balancing during total knee arthroplasty (TKA), all estimating techniques are dependent on a surgeon's manual distraction force or subjective feeling based on experience. We developed a new device for dynamic gap balancing, which can offer constant load to the gap between the femur and tibia, using pneumatic pressure during range of motion. METHODS: To determine the amount of distraction force for the new device, 3 experienced surgeons' manual distraction force was measured using a conventional spreader. A new device called the consistent load pneumatic tensor was developed on the basis of the biomechanical tests. Reliability testing for the new device was performed using 5 cadaveric knees by the same surgeons. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated. RESULTS: The distraction force applied to the new pneumatic tensioning device was determined to be 150 N. The interobserver reliability was very good for the newly tested spreader device with ICCs between 0.828 and 0.881. CONCLUSIONS: The new pneumatic tensioning device can enable us to properly evaluate the soft tissue balance throughout the range of motion during TKA with acceptable reproducibility.
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/*instrumentation/methods ; Biomechanics ; Equipment Design ; Femur/surgery ; Humans ; Knee Joint/physiology/*surgery ; Mechanical Processes ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Reproducibility of Results ; Tibia/surgery

The long arm duplication of chromosome 3 was reported for the first time in 1966 by Falek et al., and Hirschhorn et al. came to identify the duplication of 3q21--> qter region in 1973. In most cases of duplication 3q syndrome patients, pure duplication of 3qter is believed to be rare and is often reported accompanied with deletion of another segment of the chromosome. Approximately 75 percent of parents of the patient in the meantime have been demonstrated to have unbalanced translocations or inversions of the chromosome. Partial deletion of the distal part of the short arm of chromosome 3 was first reported by Verjaal and De Nef in 1978 and terminal deletion of chromosome 3 (3p25- qter) has been observed in most cases. In karyotyping of chromosomes of immature infants showing the manifestations of flat occiputs, low set ears, hypertelorism, broad nasal roots, thin lips, web necks, hypotonia, hypertrichosis skin, cryptorchidism etc, we experienced a case diagnosed as 46, XY, rec (3) dup (3) (q21) del (3) (p25) inv (3) (p25q21).
Infant ; Male ; Female ; Humans

To evaluate the CT and MR findings of cerebral paragonimiasis (PW) and to assess the diagnostic value of the specific antibody test by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for PW, 55 CT scans and 13 MR images of 57 patients with cerebral PW were reviewed retrospectively, and correlated with the serum/CSF antibody levels. We divided the into three groups, early active(n=21), chronic(n=32), and combined stage (n=4), on the basis of CT/MR findings. In the group of early active stage the most common and characteristic findings was multiple, conglomerated, ring-like enhancing lesions in the unilateral cerebral hemisphere, which was seen in 52% on CT and 44% on MR. Other non-specific findings included a solitary ring-like or irregular enhancing lesions, ill-defined low density lesions without enhancement, localized hemorrhage with or without enhancing lesions. In the group of chronic stage there were multiple calcifications of various shapes, most commonly 1-2cm sized round shape, and associated encephalomalacia. MR was superior to CT in detecting hemorrhage and in characterizing the central contents of ring-shaped calcifications, while it was inferior to CT in identifying small calcifications. Antibody levels of serum and CSF were positive in 86% and 82% in early active group, and in 48% and 31% in chronic sgage respectively. The positive rate was significantly different between the two groups (P=0.001). CT/MR findings were characteristic in only approximately half the cases in early active cerebral PW which can be cured by traziquantel therapy. Therefore, antibody test by ELISA is recommended as a complementary tool, particularly in patients with non-specific imaging findings.
Cerebrum ; Diagnosis* ; Encephalomalacia ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Paragonimiasis* ; Praziquantel ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed