Forty patients(9 male and 31 female) with tsutsugamushi disease were evaluated clinically. The diagnosis of tsutsugamushi disease was confirmed by indirect immunofluoresent test or isolation of causative agent. More than 77% of patients were over 40 years of age. After the incubation period(5 to 13 days, average 8 days) symptoms developed suddenly. The frequent symtoms were fever(100%), chill(100%), headache(100%), rnalaise(97%), and myalgia(95%). On physical exammination the rash, eschar, and lymphadenopathy were found in 97%, 82%, and 67% respectively. Eschar was observed in the trunk, especially axillary, abdominal and inguinal area. Serum transarninase(SGOT snd SGPT) was elevated(89 and 87%). Urinalysis revealed proteinuria in 35%(12/34) and hematuria in 19%(7/36). Chest roentgram and ECG demonstrated abnormalities in 39%(14/36) and 73%(26/36) respectively, The treatment with doxycycline was very effective in all cases.
Diagnosis ; Doxycycline ; Electrocardiography ; Exanthema ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Male ; Proteinuria ; Scrub Typhus* ; Thorax ; Urinalysis

Pseudomembranous colitis is known to develop with long-term antibiotic administration, but antitubercular agents are rarely reported as a cause of this disease. We experienced a case of pseudomembranous colitis associated with rifampin. The patient was twice admitted to our hospital for the management of frequent bloody, mucoid, jelly-like diarrhea and lower abdominal pain that developed after antituberculosis therapy that included rifampin. Sigmoidoscopic appearance of the rectum and sigmoid colon and mucosal biopsy were compatible with pseudomembranous colitis. The antitubercular agents were discontinued and metronidazole was administered orally. The patient's symptoms were resolved within several days. The antituberculosis therapy was changed to isoniazid, ethambutol and pyrazinamide after a second bout of colitis. The patient had no further recurrence of diarrhea and abdominal pain. We report here on a case of pseudomembranous colitis associated with rifampin.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antibiotics, Antitubercular/*adverse effects ; Diarrhea/etiology ; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous/*chemically induced ; Humans ; Male ; Rifampin/*adverse effects ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/drug therapy

After laparoscopic surgery, most cases of incisional hernia occur when a trocar greater than 10 mm is used and this rarely occurs when a 5 mm trocar is used. We recently experienced two cases of incisional herniation at a 5 mm port site in connection with withdrawal of the drain after laparoscopic procedure.
Hernia ; Laparoscopy ; Surgical Instruments

After laparoscopic surgery, most cases of incisional hernia occur when a trocar greater than 10 mm is used and this rarely occurs when a 5 mm trocar is used. We recently experienced two cases of incisional herniation at a 5 mm port site in connection with withdrawal of the drain after laparoscopic procedure.
Hernia ; Laparoscopy ; Surgical Instruments

Recently over 500 victims with toxic hepatitis associated with some sort of Chinese diet food for weight reduction were developed in Japan, China, Singapore and Malaysia. These Chinese goods contain several kinds of Chinese herbs and fenfluramine, the well known anti-appetite drug. However, until today, it is not determined which component of the diet food is responsible for the hepatic injury. Nowadays, toxic hepatitis is frequently seen in daily practice, second only to viral origin in Korea. We present a 38-year-old woman who developed mixed cholestatic and hepatocellular injury after 5 week's ingestion of the Chinese diet food. The causality of this agent to the hepatotoxicity was assessed by RUCAM and M and V scale. Herein we described the clinical course and liver pathology of this patient.
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; China ; Diet* ; Drug-Induced Liver Injury* ; Eating ; Female ; Fenfluramine ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Liver ; Malaysia ; Pathology ; Singapore ; Weight Loss

OBJECTIVE: Because bone metabolic changes progress from initial stage of stoke, early prevention and treatment have been important. Isoflavone has been proved to be effective in post-menopausal osteoporosis. Therefore the authors used a stroke rat model and evaluated the effects of isoflavone on bone metabolism from initial stage of stroke. METHOD: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 2 separate groups; a stroke without isoflavone supplement group and stroke with isoflavone supplement group. The bone mineral density (BMD) in 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae were measured at the day before stroke, 11th and 18th days after the stroke. The BMD in excised distal femur and proximal tibia and the maximum load of emur neck and tibia shaft were measured at 18th days after the stroke. RESULTS: On the 18th day after stroke, BMD of stroke with isoflavone group was significantly higher than that of stroke without isoflavone group in 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae and distal femur. The maximum load of stroke with isoflavone group was significantly higher than that of stroke without isoflavone group in femur neck. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that isoflavone supplement in stroke rat had beneficial effect on bone metabolism from the initial stage of stroke.
Animals ; Bone Density* ; Female ; Femur ; Femur Neck ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Metabolism ; Models, Animal ; Neck ; Osteoporosis ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stroke* ; Tibia

BACKGROUND: Overt hypothyroidism is well-known cause of secondary hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. However, there have been dissenting reports of abnormalities in serum lipid concentrations in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (SH). Recently, it has been reported that serum Lp (a) concentration, an independent risk factor of atherosclerosis, was increased in patients with SH. Therefore, we analyzed serum Lp (a) and other lipid concentrations to investigate whether they are increased in patients with SH and the correlation between serum Lp (a) and TSH concentrations. METHODS: We undertook this study in 53 patients with SH (TSH > 6 uiU/ml) and 197 age-and sex-matched healthy control subjects, They had no abnormalities in liver function, BUN, creatinine, fasting blood glucose, urinalysis, and past medical histories. Serum T3, T4, and TSH concentrations were measured by RIA using commercial kits. Serum concentrations of Lp (a), total cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), and HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured by rate nephelometry and enzyme assay, respectively. RESULTS: There were no significant differences of serum Lp (a), total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, TG, and HDL-C concentrations in 53 patients with SH and 197 control subjects (25.6+-3.8mg/dL vs. 25.4+-1.5mg/dL ; 204.0+-4.2mg/dL vs. 204.0+-2.4mg/dL ; 127.0+-3.9mg/dL vs. 125.0+-2.3 mg/dL ; 133.0+-8.5mg/dL vs. 130.0+-6.0mg/dL ; 50.0+-1.5mg/dL vs. 53.0+-0.9mg/dL). There was no correlation between Lp (a) and TSH concentrations in SH (r=0.12, p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Serum Lp (a) concentration as well as total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and TG was not increased in patients with SH. There was no correlation between serum Lp (a) and TSH levels in subclinical hypothyroidism.
Atherosclerosis ; Blood Glucose ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Creatinine ; Dissent and Disputes ; Enzyme Assays ; Fasting ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypothyroidism* ; Lipoprotein(a)* ; Lipoproteins* ; Liver ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; Risk Factors ; Triglycerides ; Urinalysis

BACKGROUND: Frailty is a wasting syndrome that presents loss of physiological function by aging, lowering of reserve capacity, and disability of body system. It is currently being considered an important issue in geriatrics. This study examined frailty level of Korean elderly in community and whether frailty can be meaningful a predictive factor for functional disability. METHODS: Demographic characteristics, the number of chronic diseases and medications, cardiovascular health study (CHS) frailty index, study of osteoporotic fractures (SOF) frailty index, activities of daily living, Instrumental activities of daily living, depression, mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and fall history were examined for 302 men and women over 65 years old who visited the three community seniors welfare centers from February 2008 to June 2008. RESULTS: There were definite differences of frailty status by age, educational level, marital status, monthly income, body mass index, the number of chronic diseases, the number of medications, depression, MMSE and fall history (P < 0.05), except in gender (P < 0.432). In logistic regression analysis for functional disability with frailty status defined by SOF frailty index, odds ratio to dependency of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) from the healthy to the prefrail stage increased 6.84 times while from the healthy to the frail stage increased 130.87 times. These effects still increased after covariate adjustment. Also, the CHS frailty index showed the same result although there was some difference in odds ratio. CONCLUSION: There were meaningful correlations of frailty with functional disability when dividing Korean elderly's frailty levels into the healthy, the prefrail and the frail stages.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Aging ; Body Mass Index ; Chronic Disease ; Dependency (Psychology) ; Depression ; Female ; Geriatrics ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Marital Status ; Odds Ratio ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; Wasting Syndrome

S-1, a novel oral fluoropyrimidine, is an effective therapeutic agent for gastric cancer. Herein, we report a case with locally advanced gastric cancer that achieved a curative resection after S-1 monotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment. A 68-year-old man was diagnosed with gastric cancer and massive lymphadenopathy involving the perigastric, celiac axis and splenic hilum. His clinical stage was cT3N2H0P0M0. Considering his relatively poor performance (ECOG 2, severe weight loss) and advanced age, we started the patient on S-1 monotherapy at a dose of 35 mg/m2 bid for 4 consecutive weeks followed by a 2-week rest. Follow-up study after 4 treatment cycles revealed disappearance of the lymphadenopathy of the perigastric and celiac axis with diminished extension of the stomach mass. The patient had a partial response (PR) with a 72% tumor reduction, according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST). His performance status was improved to an ECOG 1 and he gained 7 kg. A curative (R0) resection was achieved with a radical total gastrectomy and D2 dissection. The pathological stage was pT3N2M0, stage IIIB. In conclusion, S-1 neoadjuvant chemotherapy aided in the treatment of gastric cancer in this patient.
Adenocarcinoma/*drug therapy/pathology/surgery ; Aged ; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Drug Combinations ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Male ; *Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Neoplasm Staging ; Oxonic Acid/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Stomach Neoplasms/*drug therapy/pathology/surgery ; Tegafur/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use

In light of the anti-inflammatory properties of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, such as suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and trichostatin A (TSA), we examined a new HDAC inhibitor KBH-A42 for its anti-inflammatory activities. KBH-A42 showed noteworthy anti-inflammatory properties in vitro via suppression of the production of TNF-alpha, a proinflammatory cytokine, and nitric oxide (NO), a proinflammatory effector molecule, in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and peritoneal macrophages. It also inhibited TNF-alpha production in vivo as demonstrated in a LPS-induced mouse endotoxemia model. The levels of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 and iNOS mRNAs determined by RT-PCR propose that the inhibition of these pro-inflammatory mediators by KBH-A42 resulted from inhibiting expression of these genes. However, the EMSA study to see the effect of KBH-A42 on the binding of NF-kappaB, a transcription factor, to a specific DNA sequence showed that the binding of NF-kappaB to DNA was not changed regardless of increasing the concentration of KBH-A42 in the presence and absence of LPS stimulation. Interestingly, DNA binding of another transcription factor AP-1 dose-dependently increased by KBH-A42. KBH-A42 differentially regulated the phosphorylation of MAP kinases. While the phosphprylation of ERK1/2 and SAPK/JNK was not affected by KBH-A42, the phosphorylation of p38 decreased by KBH-A42. These results showed that KBH-A42 inhibits production of proinflammatory cytokines in macrophages by decreasing their mRNA levels, and p38 kinase is involved in the KBH-A42-mediated inhibition.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Line ; Cell Survival/drug effects ; Cytokines/blood/genetics/*metabolism ; Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay ; Endotoxemia/blood/metabolism/pathology ; Enzyme Inhibitors/chemistry/*pharmacology ; Histone Deacetylases/*antagonists & inhibitors ; Hydroxamic Acids/chemistry/*pharmacology ; Interleukin-1beta/genetics/metabolism ; Interleukin-6/genetics/metabolism ; Macrophages/cytology/*drug effects/metabolism ; Mice ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1/metabolism ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3/metabolism ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism ; Molecular Structure ; NF-kappa B/metabolism ; Nitric Oxide/metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/genetics/metabolism ; Phosphorylation/drug effects ; Piperidones/chemistry/*pharmacology ; Protein Binding/drug effects ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transcription Factor AP-1/metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/blood/genetics/metabolism