In Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, antibodies against strains of Orinentia tsutsugamushi, Kato, Karp and Gilliam, were produced in order to investigate their longevity and cross-reactivities to their corresponding homologous and heterologous antigens. By immunofluorescence assay (IFA) of IgG and IgM, it was shown that the immunity to the homologous strains persisted at a higher level (longevity of at least 34 weeks with higher IFA titers). On the other hand, the immunity to the heterologous strains persisted at a lower level (longevity of 10 to 34 weeks with lower IFA titers). Since infection with one strain of O. tsutsugamushi does not preclude reinfection with other strains, understanding of the antigenic diversity of O. tsutsugamushi and duration of the immunity to both homologous and heterologous strain is very important in diagnosis of scrub typhus.
Animals ; Antibodies* ; Antigenic Variation ; Antigens, Heterophile ; Diagnosis ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Hand ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Longevity* ; Orientia tsutsugamushi* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley* ; Scrub Typhus

No abstract available.
Classification* ; Leukemia*

Diagnosing pseudoaneurysms of the popliteal artery is usually straightforward in physical examinations and imaging findings. However, when a pseudoaneurysm shows a soft tissue mass with adjacent osseous change, it can mimic a bone tumor or a soft tissue sarcoma. We present a case of a 65-year-old man who had a pseudoaneurysm of the popliteal artery showing soft tissue mass and insinuating into the intramedullary cavity of the tibia. This presented case emphasizes the importance of considering pseudoaneurysms in the differential diagnosis of an apparent soft tissue mass with pressure erosion in adjacent bone.
Aged ; Aneurysm, False ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Hydrazines ; Physical Examination ; Popliteal Artery ; Sarcoma ; Tibia

A 44-year-old woman who comlpained of dizziness and generalized weakness was admitted. The hemoglobin was 6.6g/dL, hematocrit 25.5%, and serum ferritin 2.14 ng/mL Stool occult blood was positive and microcytic hypochromic anemia was found on periyheral blood smear. Gastroscopic examination showed about 2 x 1 cm sized hemispherical sebmucosal tumor on antrum. The patient underwent operatioh for confirmatory diagnosis and treatment. The final pathologic diagnosis of the resected lesion was hemangioma of stomach. Cavernous hemangioma of stomach is a rare disease.Mostly, it has a benign course clinically, but early diagnosis is important because massive hemorrhage and anemia by chronic blood loss can occur. We report a case of hemangioma of stomach with review of literature.
Adult ; Anemia ; Anemia, Hypochromic ; Diagnosis ; Dizziness ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Ferritins ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Cavernous* ; Hematocrit ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Occult Blood ; Stomach*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in detecting rotaviral gastroenteritis in children comparing with that of commercial immunoassays. METHODS: Stools from 79 children admitted Korea University Hospital due to diarrhea were collected from December 1999 to February 2000. Immunoassays were done using commercial rotavirus Latex kit and Rotatec (ELISA) kit. RT-PCR was performed to amplify group A rotavirus, most commonly pathogenic to human, using VP4- and VP7-specific primers. The detection rates of immunoassays and RT-PCR were compared. RESULTS: ELISA assay was superior to LA assay and moderately concordant with RT-PCR in detecting rotaviral gastroenteritis. CONCLUSION: Although RT-PCR is known very sensitive, it does not have significant advantage over immunoassay in detecting rotaviral gastroenteritis.
Child* ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Gastroenteritis* ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Korea ; Latex ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rotavirus

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important cause of occupational mortality in miners exposed to coal mine dust. Although the inflammatory mediators involved in COPD have not been defined, many studies have shown that inflammatory mediators such as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are involved in orchestrating the complex inflammatory process in COPD. METHODS: To investigate the relevance of exhaled biomarkers of oxidative and nitrosative stress in participants with COPD, we determined the levels of hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde (MDA), and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in 90 retired elderly coal miners (53 non-COPD and 37 COPD participants). RESULTS: Mean levels of MDA (4.64 nM vs. 6.46 nM, p = 0.005) and 3-NT (3.51 nM vs. 5.50 nM, p = 0.039) in EBC were significantly higher in participants with COPD. The median level of MDA did show statistical difference among the COPD severities (p = 0.017), and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for MDA (0.67) for the diagnostic discrimination of COPD indicated the biomarker. The optimal cutoff values were 5.34 nM (64.9% sensitivity and 64.2% specificity) and 5.58 nM (62.2% sensitivity and 62.3% specificity) for MDA and 3-NT, respectively. The results suggest that high levels of MDA and 3-NT in EBC are associated with COPD in retired elderly miners. CONCLUSION: These results showed that the elevated levels of EBC MDA and EBC 3-NT in individuals with COPD are biomarkers of oxidative or nitrosative stress.
Aged* ; Biomarkers ; Coal* ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Dust ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Malondialdehyde* ; Mortality ; Nitrogen ; Oxygen ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; ROC Curve

Background: Neuroleukemiosis is a rare complication of leukemia. The diagnosis may be delayed owing to non-specific symptoms and the need for special diagnostic modalities. Case: A 70-year-old man in his sixth year of remission from acute myeloid leukemia was referred to the pain clinic for shooting and radiating pain in the left posterior leg. A lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging showed mild disc bulging of the L2-3, which was insufficient to explain the patient’s symptoms. With insufficient pain response to lumbar epidural block and piriformis injection, we examined both sciatic nerves using an ultrasound and identified an enlarged hypoechoic mass on the left sciatic nerve at mid-thigh level. After that, we biopsied the mass under general anesthesia, and histology confirmed it to be neuroleukemiosis. Conclusions Ultrasound is an inexpensive, non-invasive, simple, and quick diagnostic modality that can be used as a screening tool in the diagnosis of neuroleukemiosis.

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: Scopolamine is a nonselective muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonist, which induces impairment of learning ability and memory function. Exercise is known to ameliorate brain disturbance induced by brain injuries. In the present study, we investigated the effect of treadmill exercise on short-term memory in relation to acetylcholinesterase (AChE) expression in the hippocampus, using a scopolamine-induced amnesia model in mice. METHODS: To induce amnesia, 1 mg/kg scopolamine hydrobromide was administered intraperitoneally once per day for 14 days. A step-down avoidance test for short-term memory was conducted. AChE histochemistry, immunohistochemistry for collagen IV, and doublecortin were performed. RESULTS: Short-term memory deteriorated in the mice with scopolamine-induced amnesia, concomitant with enhanced AChE expression and suppression of angiogenesis in the hippocampus. Critically, treadmill exercise ameliorated short-term memory impairment, suppressed AChE expression, and enhanced angiogenesis in the mice with scopolamine-induced amnesia. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of AChE is implicated in both brain and renal disease. The findings of our study indicate that treadmill exercise may be of therapeutic value in neurodegenerative and renal diseases by suppressing the effects of AChE expression.
Acetylcholinesterase ; Amnesia* ; Animals ; Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Collagen ; Exercise Test ; Hippocampus ; Immunohistochemistry ; Learning ; Memory ; Memory, Short-Term* ; Mice ; Rats* ; Scopolamine Hydrobromide

PURPOSE: We performed a two-and-a-half year follow-up study of strategy factors in successful learning to predict academic achievements in medical education. METHODS: Strategy factors in successful learning were identified using a content analysis of open-ended responses from 30 medical students who were ranked in the top 10 of their class. Core words were selected among their responses in each category and the frequency of the words were counted. Then, a factors survey was conducted among year 2 students, before the second semester. Finally, we performed an analysis to assess the association between the factors score and academic achievement for the same students 2.5 years later. RESULTS: The core words were "planning and execution," "daily reviews" in the study schedule category; "focusing in class" and "taking notes" among class-related category; and "lecture notes," "previous exams or papers," and "textbooks" in the primary self-learning resources category. There were associations between the factors scores for study planning and execution, focusing in class, and taking notes and academic achievement, representing the second year second semester credit score, third year written exam scores and fourth year written and skill exam scores. Study planning was only one independent variable to predict fourth year summative written exam scores. CONCLUSION: In a two-and-a-half year follow-up study, associations were founded between academic achievement and the factors scores for study planning and execution, focusing in class, and taking notes. Study planning as only one independent variable is useful for predicting fourth year summative written exam score.
*Achievement ; *Education, Medical ; Educational Measurement ; Educational Status ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; *Learning ; *Students, Medical