No abstract available.
Esophagus* ; Rupture*

No abstract available.
Esophagus* ; Rupture*

PURPOSE: This study was done to evaluate the effects of psychosocial interventions on cortisol and immune response in adult patients with cancer. METHODS: MEDLINE via PubMed, Cochrane Library CENTRAL, EMBASE, CINAHL and domestic electronic databases were searched. Twenty controlled trials (11 randomized and 9 non-randomized trials) met the inclusion criteria with a total of 862 participants. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane's Risk of Bias for randomized studies and the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for non randomized studies. Data were analyzed using the RevMan 5.2.11 program of Cochrane library. RESULTS: Overall, study quality was moderate to high. The weighted average effect size across studies was -0.32 (95% CI [-0.56, -0.07], p=.010, I2=45%) for cortisol concentration, -0.62 (95%CI [-0.96,-0.29], p<.001, I2=0%) for T lymphocyte (CD3) and -0.45 (95%CI [-0.74, -0.16], p=.003, I2=0%) for Th lymphocyte (CD4) numbers. Psychosocial interventions were not effective for Tc lymphocyte (CD4), NK cell, monocyte, and cytokine response. CONCLUSION: Although these results provide only small evidence of successful immune modulation, they support the conclusion that psychosocial interventions can assist cancer patients in reducing emotional distress and improving immune response.
CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/cytology/immunology ; Cytokines/metabolism ; Databases, Factual ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone/*analysis ; Killer Cells, Natural/cytology/immunology ; Monocytes/cytology/immunology ; Neoplasms/metabolism/pathology/*therapy ; Psychotherapy ; T-Lymphocytes/cytology/*immunology

Though the incidence of paragonimiasis has been remarkably decreased since 1970, it is still not a rare disease in Korea. Major problems in the diagnosis of pulmonary paragonimiasis on chest radiography are its differentiation from pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer. Chest radiographic findings have been described in detail, but little have been reported on CT findings. We reviewed CT findings of 10 patients with pulmonary paragonimiasis. The characteristic CT findings were similar to those on chest radiography, such as air-space consolidation (70%), nodular mass (50%), pleural effusion (40%), cystic lesion (30%), small low density within the mass (30%), linear density (20%), pneumothorax(20%), and burrow track (20%). CT depicted the cystic lesions and the burrow tracks more clearly and showed the small worm-retaining cysts within the mass that were not detectable on chest radiography. In conclusion, all of these CT findings are useful in the diagnosis of pulmonary paragonimiasis especially when differentiation from tuberculosis or lung canceris difficult on chest radiography.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Paragonimiasis* ; Pleural Effusion ; Radiography ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Rare Diseases ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

No abstract available.
Animals ; Humans* ; Mice* ; Muramidase* ; Paneth Cells* ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Dopaminergic Neurons* ; Retina*

No abstract available.
Dopaminergic Neurons* ; Retina* ; Rodentia*

No abstract available.
Blood Transfusion, Autologous*

An excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate is engaged in slow transmission by activating the secondary signal transduction pathway through metabotropic receptors of the target cells. The present study has been investigated the localization of group I (mGluR1 and mGluR5) and II (mGluR2/3) metabotropic glutamate receptors in the retina and their altered expression patterns following long-term diabetes using immunohistochemistry, in order to clarify the involvement of the slow transmission of glutamate in diabetic retinopathy. Insulin-dependent diabetes was induced by a single intravenous injection of streptozotocin. Experimental periods were set at 1, 4, 12 and 24 weeks after the onset of diabetes. MGluR1 and mGluR5 were expressed in the outer plexiform layer, 1, 3, and 5 strata of the inner plexiform layer, and the photoreceptor layer in the retina at normal state. In the early periods of diabetes, the expression pattern of group I receptors was no large change. The expression level in the photoreceptor layer of 12 and 24 weeks diabetic retinas was increased, while that in the IPL was decreased. MGluR2/3 was expressed in the amacrine cells, in the displaced amacrine cells, and in two bands in the inner plexiform layer at normal retina. In later diabetic periods, the expression level of mGluR2/3 was increased in the two bands especially. These results demonstrate that diabetes induces the activation of I and II mGluRs in the retina, and may suggest the involvement of slow transmission of glutamate via metabotropic receptors in progression of diabetic retinopathy.
Amacrine Cells ; Animals ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Glutamic Acid ; Immunohistochemistry ; Injections, Intravenous ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Rats* ; Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate* ; Retina* ; Signal Transduction ; Streptozocin

Diabetic retinopathy is characterized by the pericyte loss, microaneurysms and neovascularization eventually leads to blindness. The present study was examined changes of the microvasculature histochemically and immunochemically in the diabetic rat retina previously documented neuronal alterations, in order to verify the usefulness of the animal model of diabetes for the pathophysiology of angiogenesis. Diabetic condition was induced by a single intravenous injection of streptozotocin in Sprague-Dawley rats aged of 8weeks. The animals showing high blood glucose levels (above 300 mg/dL) were cared for 1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks, respectively. The retinas were processed for Griffonia simplicifolia isolection (GSI) B4 histochmistry, and anti-alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and anti-NG2 immunochemical techniques. The retinal vasculature was well demarcated by endothelial profiles with GSIB4 histochemistry. alpha-SMA immunoreactivity appeared in the arterioles and the primary capillaries, and NG2 in the arterioles and the whole capillary beds. Changes evoked by diabetes were largely occurred in the capillary. Compared to the retina at normal state, the capillary networks were more complicated, enlarged, and dense. NG2 reactivity was reduced especially under the cytoplasmic processes of the pericytes. In the near periphery of the capillary mainly in the ganglion cell layer of the diabetes, GSIB4 reactive microglia were distributed. These results suggest that the retinal microvasculature showed the precedent events of neovascularization due to diabetes and rat model of diabetes is useful for study of neovascularization mechanism of the diabetic retinopathy.
Actins ; Aged ; Animals ; Arterioles ; Blindness ; Blood Glucose ; Capillaries ; Cytoplasm ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Ganglion Cysts ; Griffonia ; Humans ; Immunochemistry ; Injections, Intravenous ; Microglia ; Microvessels ; Models, Animal ; Muscles ; Neurons ; Pericytes ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Retina ; Retinaldehyde ; Streptozocin