Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) or Osler-Weber-Rendu disease is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by repeated episodes of bleeding. Multiple telangiectases consisting of thin-walled, dilated vascular channels with arteriovenous communication may involve, for example, mucocutaneous tissue, the gastrointestinal tract, and the liver, lung, and brain. We report the imaging findings of two cases of HHT involving arteriovenous malformation of both the lungs and liver, a rare condition. Chest radiography revealed a round mass, while helical CT showed a feeding artery and draining vein with arteriovenous malformation in the lung. Color Doppler sonography revealed an enlarged and tortuous hepatic artery with high systolic velocity. CT demonstrated an enlarged hepatic artery, arteriovenous shunt, and early draining hepatic vein in the liver. Celiac angiography showed arteriovenous malformation.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Brain ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hemorrhage ; Hepatic Artery ; Hepatic Veins ; Liver* ; Lung* ; Radiography ; Telangiectasia, Hereditary Hemorrhagic* ; Telangiectasis ; Thorax ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; Veins

PURPOSE: This study was a descriptive research to investigate the impact for middle aged women of health perception, self-efficacy, family support on Yangsaeng, a traditional Oriental way of promoting health. METHOD: Data were collected through questionnaires from 277 middle aged women. Collected data were analyzed using PASW Statistics 18. Analysis included descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in Yangsaeng according to average monthly household income. There was a significant positive correlation between Yangsaeng and self-efficacy, family support, and health perception. Health perception, family support, self-efficacy, and monthly income were found to be significant predictors (36%) of Yangsaeng. CONCLUSION: To promote Yangsaeng in middle aged women, nurses should focus on factors identified in this study when developing nursing interventions for health promotion.
Family Characteristics ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Middle Aged* ; Nursing ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Self Efficacy

Pigmented villonodular synovitis(PVNS) is a synovial lesion of joints or tendon sheaths, characterized by villous and nodular overgrowth of the synovial membrane. It commonly occurs in synovial joints of the appendicular skeleton, particularly those of the knee and hip, but rarely affecting those of the spine. We report a case of PVNS of the lumbar spine mimicking epidural mass.
Hip ; Joints ; Knee ; Skeleton ; Spine* ; Synovial Membrane ; Synovitis ; Synovitis, Pigmented Villonodular* ; Tendons

BACKGROUND: It is controversial that an electrocardiography (EEG) is valuable in evaluation of patients with headache. The purpose of this study was to determine whether EEG brain mapping can be a useful indicator for evaluating the analgesic efficacy of treatment on the patient with an occipital headache. METHODS: We did an EEG on 20 patients with occipital headaches at the peri-laser application period. The laser was radiated for 3 minutes a third of the total distance from the external occipital protuberance to the mastoid process on the superior nuchal line. An EEG was taKen before laser radiation as control use, and at 10, 30 and 60 minutes after laser radiation by 32 channel electrodes (international 10 20 system). The EEG mapping was red for the high electric potential and blue for the low electric potential. RESULTS: Compared with control group, the alpha wave increased significantly in parieto-occipital and occipital region at 60 minutes after laser radiation (P < 0.05). DarK red color was increased especially in occipital region at 60 minutes after laser radiation, compared with EEG mapping before laser radiation. Good and Fair improvements were observed in 55% of the patients with occipital headaches. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that EEG can be a valuable indicator in the evaluation of analgesic efficacy of treatment in the patients suffering from occipital headaches. Pain scores were assessed by the patient with the visual analogue scale (VAS).
Brain Mapping ; Electrocardiography ; Electrodes ; Electroencephalography* ; Headache* ; Humans ; Mastoid

Chaenomeles sinensis is known to inhibit the development and progression of many age-related diseases, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unclear. In the present study, we observed that the ethanol extract of Chaenomeles sinensis scavenged 2,2’-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl and 2,2’-azinobis diammonium radicals in vitro. The ethanol extract of Chaenomeles sinensisactivated antioxidant response element-luciferase activity and induced expression of NRF2 target genes in HaCaT cells. The ethanol extract of Chaenomeles sinensis also suppressed LPS-induced expression of COX-2 and iNOS proteins, and mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-2 in RAW264.7 cells. Finally, the ethanol extract of Chaenomeles sinensis significantly suppressed testosterone propionate-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia in mice. Together, our study provides the evidence that the ethanol extract of Chaenomeles sinensis inhibits the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia by exhibiting anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

BACKGROUND: Various virulence factors and superantigens are encoded by mobile genetic elements. The relationship between clonal background and virulence factors differs in different geographic regions. We compared the distribution and relationship of spa types and virulence genes among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from a tertiary hospital in 2000-01 and 2007-08. METHODS: In 2000-01 and 2007-08, 94 MRSA strains were collected from 3 intensive care units at a Korean tertiary hospital. We performed spa typing and multiplex PCR for 19 superantigen genes. RESULTS: Relatively frequent spa types were t037 (40.5%), t002, t601, and t2138 in 2000-01, and t2460 (43.9%), t002, t037, t601, t324, and t2139 in 2007-08. We identified 4 novel spa types, 2 of which were designated as t5076 and t5079. Superantigen profiles were closely linked to spa types. For example, sea, sek, and seq superantigen genes were mainly detected in t037 strains. CONCLUSIONS: Major spa types differed depending on study periods, and the distribution of superantigen genes correlated with spa type.
Bacterial Typing Techniques ; DNA, Bacterial/chemistry ; Genotype ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units/statistics & numerical data ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/genetics/*isolation & purification/pathogenicity ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Staphylococcal Infections/microbiology ; Superantigens/genetics ; Virulence/genetics ; Virulence Factors/*genetics

Recently, the number of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding surgery is increasing as is the number of patients with morbid obesity rapidly. However, no anesthetic management including preoperative fasting strategy for patients with laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding exists. Hereby, we report a case of a 22-year-old woman with laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding who suffered pulmonary aspiration during the anesthetic induction for appendectomy, despite a preoperative fasting period longer than 14 h. This case strongly suggests that guidelines for anesthetic management including the appropriate fasting period for patients with laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding are desperately required.
Appendectomy ; Fasting ; Female ; Humans ; Obesity, Morbid ; Patient Safety ; Pneumonia, Aspiration ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Recently the association between the virulence factors of Staphylococcus aureus and the outcome of the patients infected with the organism appears to be the subject of active investigation. Toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) is thought to be a clinically more significant virulence factor than other staphylococcal toxins. We attempted to produce and characterize monoclonal antibodies to staphylococcal TSST-1. METHODS: An important epitope of TSST-1, amino acids 1-15 region, was synthesized into a peptide antigen, and Balb/c mice were immunized by intraperitoneal injection of the synthetic antigen. Hybridomas were produced by fusing immunized murine splenocytes with immortal myeloma cells. Hybridomas were cloned through a limiting dilution method. Stable cultured hybridoma was injected into the peritoneal cavity of Balb/c mice, and peritoneal fluid containing the monoclonal antibody was produced. RESULTS: One IgG2b type monoclonal antibody and two IgM type monoclonal antibodies were obtained. The IgG2b type monoclonal antibody was able to detect 5 microgram of TSST-1 with Western blot analysis and showed a strong reactivity to TSST-1 with ELISA. CONCLUSIONS: Highly immunoreactive anti-TSST-1 monoclonal antibody was produced by the use of synthesized peptide antigen. Diagnostic and protective capacity of this monoclonal antibody should be evaluated in the future.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/biosynthesis/*immunology/isolation & purification ; Bacterial Toxins/*immunology ; Blotting, Western ; Enterotoxins/*immunology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Hybridomas/metabolism ; Mice ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Peptides/chemical synthesis/pharmacology ; Superantigens/*immunology

PURPOSE: Siewert's classification of adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) has been widely adopted, but there is a wide discrepancy of the clinicopathological features of AEG of the Asian patients as compared to that of the Western patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of AEG according to the Siewert classification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among the patients who underwent surgery for gastric carcinoma in our institution between May 2004 and February 2008, the AEG patients were selected based on their operation records and the photographs according to Siewert's classification. RESULTS: There were 70 AEG patients (3.9%) among the total of 1,778 patients. There were 3 patients (4.3%) with type I, 30 patients (42.8%) with type II and 37 patients (52.8%) with type III. Curative resection (R0) was achieved in 68 cases (97.1%). No significant differences in gender, stage, Barrett's esophagus and the proximal margin were found between the patients with type II and type III AEG. The patients with type III were younger than the patients with type II (59 vs 64 years, respectively, P=0.049). Well differentiated histology (P=0.045) and the intestinal type (P=0.055) were significantly more frequent in the patients with type II as compared with that in the patients with type III. CONCLUSION: There was a striking difference of the Asian patients from the Western patients for the incidence of AEG (and especially type I). Some of the differences between type II and type III patients were similar to those of the previous Western studies. A large study is needed to investigate whether these features are typical in the Korean population.
Adenocarcinoma ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Barrett Esophagus ; Esophagogastric Junction ; Humans ; Incidence ; Strikes, Employee

BACKGROUND: Adrenal medullary transplants into the subarachnoid space have been demonstrated to reduce pain sensitivity. This analgesia most likely results from the release of neuroactive substances, particularly catecholamines and opioid peptides from the transplanted cells into spinal cord. METHODS: Isolated bovine chromaffin cells were encapsulated with alginate and poly-L-lysine prior to implantation into rat's subarachnoid space to protect them from host immune system. And then catecholamines from encapsulated chromaffin cells were measured quantitatively in vitro by High Performance Liquid Chromatograph. The animals were randomized into 2 groups, one of which received microencapsulated chromaffin cells and the other empty capsules. The effects of such implants were evaluated on the pain behavior resulting from a chronic constriction injury of the rat sciatic nerve for 30 days. RESULTS: Catecholamine concentration in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was analyzed. Data (mean SD) are considered significant at P <0.05 (ANOVA for repeated measure and Dunnett's test). Continuous release of catecholamine and met-enkephalin with responsiveness to nicotine stimulation was measured from encapsulated cells in vitro. A significant reduction of allodynic response to acetone evaporation was observed in the animals implanted with cell loaded capsules compared to control animals with empty capsules. Catecholamine concentration in CSF was higher in the cell loaded capsule group. There were no complications related to implantation. CONCLUSION: We found that encapsulated chromaffin cells released continuously catehcolamines and opioids peptides in vitro and in the CSF. Those results may prove chromaffin cell's anagesic effect indirectly.
Acetone ; Analgesia ; Analgesics, Opioid ; Animals ; Capsules ; Catecholamines* ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Chromaffin Cells* ; Constriction ; Drug Compounding ; Enkephalin, Methionine ; Immune System ; Nicotine ; Opioid Peptides ; Peptides ; Rats ; Sciatic Nerve ; Spinal Cord ; Subarachnoid Space