Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical experience with arthroscopic debridement for septic arthritis of the shoulder joint and to report on our patient outcomes. Methods: The retrospective analysis included 36 shoulders (male:female, 15:21), contributed by 35 patients (mean age, 63.8 years) treated by arthroscopy for septic arthritis of the shoulder between November 2003 and February 2016. The mean follow-up period was 14.3 months (range, 12–33 months). An additional posterolateral portal and a 70º arthroscope was used to access the posteroinferior glenohumeral (GH) joint and posteroinferior subacromial (SA) space, respectively. Irrigation was performed with a large volume of fluid (25.1±8.1 L). Multiple suction drains (average, 3.3 drains) were inserted into the GH joint and SA space and removed 8.9±4.3 days after surgery. Intravenous antibiotics were administered for 3.9±1.8 weeks after surgery, followed by oral antibiotic treatment for another 3.6±1.9 weeks. Results: Among the 36 shoulders, reoperation was required in two cases (5.6%). The average range of motion achieved was 150.0º for forward flexion and T9 for internal rotation. The mean simple shoulder test score was 7.9±3.6 points. Nineteen shoulders (52.8%) had acupuncture or injection history prior to the infection. Pathogens were identified in 15 shoulders, with Staphylococcus aureus being the most commonly identified pathogen (10/15). Both the GH joint and the SA space were involved in 21 shoulders, while 14 cases involved only the GH joint and one case involved only the SA space. Conclusions Complete debridement using an additional posterolateral portal and 70º arthroscope, a large volume of irrigation with >20 L of saline, and multiple suction drains may reduce the reoperation rate.

Investigations into the development of new therapeutic agents for lung inflammatory disorders have led to the discovery of plant-based alternatives. The rhizomes of Anemarrhena asphodeloides have a long history of use against lung inflammatory disorders in traditional herbal medicine. However, the therapeutic potential of this plant material in animal models of lung inflammation has yet to be evaluated. In the present study, we prepared the alcoholic extract and derived the saponin-enriched fraction from the rhizomes of A. asphodeloides and isolated timosaponin A-III, a major constituent. Lung inflammation was induced by intranasal administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to mice, representing an animal model of acute lung injury (ALI). The alcoholic extract (50–200 mg/kg) inhibited the development of ALI. Especially, the oral administration of the saponin-enriched fraction (10–50 mg/kg) potently inhibited the lung inflammatory index. It reduced the total number of inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Histological changes in alveolar wall thickness and the number of infiltrated cells of the lung tissue also indicated that the saponin-enriched fraction strongly inhibited lung inflammation. Most importantly, the oral administration of timosaponin A-III at 25–50 mg/kg significantly inhibited the inflammatory markers observed in LPS-induced ALI mice. All these findings, for the first time, provide evidence supporting the effectiveness of A. asphodeloides and its major constituent, timosaponin A-III, in alleviating lung inflammation.
Acute Lung Injury ; Administration, Intranasal ; Administration, Oral ; Alcoholics ; Anemarrhena* ; Animals* ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Herbal Medicine ; Humans ; Lung* ; Mice ; Models, Animal* ; Plants ; Pneumonia* ; Rhizome*

PURPOSE: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes cognitive impairments, motor deficits, and neuropsychiatric/behavioral deficits problems. Transplantation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) facilitates functional recovery from brain insults. Treadmill exercise increases neurogenesis and inhibits apoptosis. In this study, we investigated the effects of BMSC transplantation in combination with treadmill exercise on memory function, by evaluating its effect on neurogenesis and apoptosis in the hippocampus following TBI. METHODS: TBI was induced using an electromagnetic-controlled cortical impact device. BMSCs were transplanted into both sides of traumatic scar region 1 week after TBI induction. One week after transplantation of BMSCs, the rats in the exercise groups were trained to run on a treadmill for 30 minutes once daily for 28 days. Step-down avoidance task and radial 8-arm maze test were conducted. Levels of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine and caspase-3 were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Western blot was used to evaluate the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tyrosine kinase B (TrkB), total-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (t-ERK1/2), phosphorylated-ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2), Bcl-2, and Bax. RESULTS: TBI deteriorated memory function, suppressed neurogenesis, and accelerated apoptosis in the hippocampus. Treadmill exercise and BMSC transplantation independently improved memory function by increasing neurogenesis with suppression of apoptosis through the BDNF-ERK pathway in the TBI-induced rats. Combination of BMSC transplantation with treadmill exercise showed additional enhancement of neurogenesis and suppression of apoptosis in the hippocampus. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows that treadmill exercise may aid the therapeutic effect of BMSC transplantation on TBI in rats.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Bone Marrow* ; Brain ; Brain Injuries* ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; Caspase 3 ; Cicatrix ; Cognition Disorders ; Exercise Test ; Hippocampus ; Immunohistochemistry ; Memory ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Neurogenesis ; Neuroprotective Agents* ; Phosphotransferases ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Rats

No abstract available.
Brain* ; Hemangioma, Cavernous* ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the CT characteristics of pleural plaques in asbestos-exposed individuals and compared occupational versus environmental exposure groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study enrolled 181 subjects with occupational exposure and 98 with environmental exposure from chrysotile asbestos mines, who had pleural plaques confirmed by a chest CT. The CT scans were analyzed for morphological characteristics, the number and distribution of pleural plaques and combined pulmonary fibrosis. Furthermore, the CT findings were compared between the occupational and environmental exposure groups. RESULTS: Concerning the 279 subjects, the pleural plaques were single in 2.2% and unilateral in 3.6%, and showed variable widths (range, 1-20 mm; mean, 5.4 +/- 2.7 mm) and lengths (5-310 mm; 72.6 +/- 54.8 mm). The chest wall was the most commonly involved (98.6%), with an upper predominance on the ventral side (upper, 77.8% vs. lower, 55.9%, p < 0.001) and a lower predominance on the dorsal side (upper, 74.9% vs. lower, 91.8%, p = 0.02). Diaphragmatic involvement (78.1%) showed a right-side predominance (right, 73.8% vs. left, 55.6%, p < 0.001), whereas mediastinal plaques (42.7%) were more frequent on the left (right, 17.6% vs. left, 39.4%, p < 0.001). The extent and maximum length of plaques, and presence and severity of combined asbestosis, were significantly higher in the occupational exposure group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Pleural plaques in asbestos-exposed individuals are variable in number and size; and show a predominant distribution in the upper ventral and lower dorsal chest walls, right diaphragm, and left mediastinum. Asbestos mine workers have a higher extent of plaques and pulmonary fibrosis versus environmentally exposed individuals.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asbestos, Serpentine/*toxicity ; Asbestosis/*etiology/radiography ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Environmental Pollutants/toxicity ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mining ; Occupational Exposure ; Pleural Diseases/*etiology/radiography ; Republic of Korea ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It is suggested that the hepatic lipid composition is more important than lipid quantity in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. We examined whether lipoic acid (LA) could alter intrahepatic lipid composition and free cholesterol distribution. METHODS: HepG2 cells were cultured with palmitic acid (PA) with and without LA. Apoptosis, changes of the mitochondrial structure, intracellular lipid partitioning, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity were measured. RESULTS: Free fatty acid (FA) increased apoptosis, and LA co-treatment prevented this lipotoxicity (apoptosis in controls vs PA vs PA+LA, 0.5% vs 19.5% vs 1.6%, p<0.05). LA also restored the intracellular mitochondrial DNA copy number (553+/-33.8 copies vs 291+/-14.55 copies vs 421+/-21.05 copies, p<0.05) and reversed the morphological changes induced by PA. In addition, ROS was increased in response to PA and was decreased in response to LA co-treatment (41,382 relative fluorescence unit [RFU] vs 43,646 RFU vs 41,935 RFU, p<0.05). LA co-treatment increased the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated FA concentrations and decreased the total saturated FA fraction. It also prevented the movement of intracellular free cholesterol from the cell membrane to the cytoplasm. CONCLUSIONS: LA opposes free FA-generated lipotoxicity by altering the intracellular lipid composition and free cholesterol distribution.
Apoptosis ; Cell Membrane ; Cholesterol ; Coat Protein Complex I ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; Fatty Liver ; Fluorescence ; Hep G2 Cells ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Palmitic Acid ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Thioctic Acid

Coronary artery injury after thoracic injury is very rare, but can result in serious acute myocardial infarction (MI). It can be easily mistaken for chest wall pain or cardiac contusion if relying solely on a history and physical examination. We herein report a rare case of a 60-year-old female patient who presented with inferior wall ST-segment elevation MI due to right coronary artery dissection following blunt chest trauma after a traffic accident. Successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention was performed without complications.
Accidents, Traffic ; Contusions ; Coronary Vessels ; Female ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Physical Examination ; Thoracic Injuries ; Thoracic Wall ; Thorax

Evidence suggests that diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). According to the new IPF guidelines, high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is an essential means of diagnosing IPF. We investigated the relationship between IPF and DM in patients treated between 2003 and 2007. Newly diagnosed IPF patients in large university teaching hospitals in Korea were enrolled from January 2003 to December 2007. We retrospectively analyzed 1,685 patients using the interstitial lung disease (ILD) registry. In total, 299 IPF patients (17.8%) also had DM. The mean age of our subjects was 68.0 +/- 9.4 yr. HRCT showed significantly more reticular and honeycomb patterns in IPF patients with DM than in IPF patients without DM (P = 0.014, P = 0.028, respectively). Furthermore, significantly higher incidences of hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and other malignancies (except lung cancer) were found in IPF patients with DM than in IPF patients without DM. In conclusion, IPF patients with DM are more likely to have the usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern, including reticular and honeycomb patterns, on HRCT than are those without DM.
Aged ; Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology/etiology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/*complications ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension/epidemiology/etiology ; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis/complications/*diagnosis/radiography ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms/epidemiology/etiology ; Registries ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: This study was performed to determine the optimal tile size for the fractal dimension of the mandibular trabecular bone using a tile counting method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Digital intraoral radiographic images were obtained at the mandibular angle, molar, premolar, and incisor regions of 29 human dry mandibles. After preprocessing, the parameters representing morphometric characteristics of the trabecular bone were calculated. The fractal dimensions of the processed images were analyzed in various tile sizes by the tile counting method. RESULTS: The optimal range of tile size was 0.132 mm to 0.396 mm for the fractal dimension using the tile counting method. The sizes were closely related to the morphometric parameters. CONCLUSION: The fractal dimension of mandibular trabecular bone, as calculated with the tile counting method, can be best characterized with a range of tile sizes from 0.132 to 0.396 mm.
Bicuspid ; Fractals ; Humans ; Incisor ; Mandible ; Molar ; Trabecular Meshwork

Honey production from approximately 1.6 million colonies owned by about 199,000 Korean beekeepers was almost 23,000 metric tons in 2009. Nosema causes significant losses in honey production and the virus decreases population size. We initiated a survey of honey bee colonies on the blooming period of Acacia to determine the prevalence of Nosema and virus in 2011. Most Korean beekeepers have moved from the south to north of Korea to get Acacia nectar for 2 mon. This provided a valuable opportunity to sample bees originating from diverse areas in one location. Twenty hives owned by 18 beekeepers were sampled in this year. Nosema spore counts ranged from zero to 1,710,000 spores per bee. The average number of nosema spores per bee was 580,000. Approximately 95% of the colonies were infected with Nosema, based on the presence of spores in the flowering period of Acacia. This indicates that Nosema is the predominant species affecting honeybee colonies. Also, the seven most important honeybee viruses were investigated by reverse transcription-PCR. Among them, four different viruses were detected in samples. Black queen cell virus was present in all samples. Chronic bee paralysis virus was detected in 10% of samples. Deformed wing virus was present in only 5% of the samples. Prevalence of Sacbrood virus was 15%. However, Cloudy wing virus, Israel acute paralysis virus and kashmir bee virus were not detected in any of samples.
Acacia ; Bees ; Colony Count, Microbial ; Flowers ; Honey ; Israel ; Korea ; Nosema ; Paralysis ; Plant Nectar ; Population Density ; Prevalence ; Spores ; Urticaria ; Viruses ; Wings, Animal