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*

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

Cervical incompetence is one of the main contributors to repeated pregnancy loss and preterm delivery. Typically it results in progressive cervical dilatation, leading to a painless second or early third trimester abortion. Emergency cerclage can be used in the setting of advanced cervical incompetence, even when fetal membranes bulge through the dilated cervix. To facilitate the procedure, various techniques have been developed to replace the fetal membranes into the uterine cavity. We performed six successful cases of emergency cerclage combined with amnioreduction in advanced incompetent internal os of cervix (IIOC). Interval from emergency cerclage to delivery was 8.1 +/- 2.4 weeks (range 4-10 weeks) and we delivered viable fetuses in all but one. Hereby we report our experiences with a brief review of literature.
Cervix Uteri ; Emergencies* ; Extraembryonic Membranes ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Labor Stage, First ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third

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

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

BACKGROUND: Over activation of the DNA repairing enzyme, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) in response to oxidative damage of DNA appears to play a role in cellular death in neurodegenerative diseases. Previous data suggested that PARP immunoreactivity (IR) was increased in the white and gray matter in spinal cord of the sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS), predominantly in cells with astroglial morphology. METHODS: In the present study, we evaluated whether the PARP expression was present widespread in various regions of brain tissue including the motor cortex, parietal cortex and cerebellum. RESULTS: By western blot, PARP-IR in motor cortex from sALS patients, compared to the same region from age-matched normal controls, was also significantly increased (p=0.006). Importantly, PARP-IR was also increased in the parietal cortex, and cerebellum of sALS patients compared to the controls, in regions that are usually clinically unaffected in ALS (p=0.043, p=0.035, respectively). In addition, increased PARP expression in ALS was more prominent compared to Alzheimer's brain. Immunohistochemistry revealed that PARP staining was more significant in the cortical neurons and in the subcortical white matter glial cells from sALS patients compared to normal controls and Alzheimer's disease. CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrate that increase in PARP-IR is not limited only to the vulnerable motor cortex. Furthermore, PARP-IR is present in both cortical neuronal and subcortical glial cells. The data suggest that widespread cellular stress on neuronal and glial cells is present in the brain of sporadic ALS patients.
Alzheimer Disease ; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis* ; Blotting, Western ; Brain* ; Cerebellum ; DNA ; DNA Repair ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Motor Cortex ; Motor Neurons ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neuroglia ; Neurons* ; Rabeprazole ; Spinal Cord