No abstract available.
Lymphangioma*

We report a rare case of well differentiated paratesticular liposarcoma in a 72-year -old male. His chief complaint was left painless scrotal mass for about three years. The mass was composed of hard, soft, and rubbery components and its size was 20x5x5 cm in dimension. Scrotal ultrasonography showed huge highly echogenic multilobulated mass with some calcification and CT scan excluded the presence of nodal involvement. Left radical orchiectomy was performed as treatment and the patient has survived 24 months without evidence of recurrence. Paratesticular liposarcoma is very rare and most of them are low-grade malignancies and treatment is radical orchiectomy with wide local excision.
Humans ; Liposarcoma* ; Male ; Orchiectomy ; Recurrence ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVES: Approximately 2000 phase-in substances are subject to registration according to the Act on the Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemical Substances (KREACH), and the expected testing cost is 2.06 trillion Korean won assuming all the test data required for registration are acquired. The extent to which these enormous test costs can be reduced depends on the availability of existing data that can be used to meet the requirements of the K-REACH we examined the current availability of test data that can be used for chemical substance registration. METHODS: We analyzed the possibility of utilizing the existing test data obtained from 16 reference databases for 369 of 518 kinds of phase-in substances subject to registration that were reported in last October 2014. RESULTS: The physical and chemical properties were available for 57.1% of substances, whereas data regarding human hazards and environmental hazards were available at considerably lower rates, 8.5% and 11.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Physical and chemical properties were available for a fairly high proportion, whereas human hazards and environmental hazards were reported for considerably fewer substances.
Chemical Safety ; Hazardous Substances ; Humans ; Safety Management

BACKGROUND: Recently, dengue fever has increased throughout tropical regions and emerged as the most important vector borne viral disease in human. 4 serotypes of viruses are circulating concurrently in these regions and thus it may be anticipated to increase risk of dengue hemorrhagic fever. Even though dengue fever is still not endemic in Korea, it is necessary to test antibodies against dengue viruses because the number of Koreans who have visited these regions is continuously increasing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum specimens from persons with suspected dengue fever had been collected. Commercial kit, immunochromatographic test (ICA), and the IgM capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (MAC-ELISA) were employed for dengue fever detection in these studies. For confirmation randomized 25 specimens among total of 99 specimens were selected and compared with those results from commercial kit and IFA. RESULTS: 33 (33.3%) among 99 specimens showed positive antibody against dengue virus by commercial kit. Positive rate of traveller who have visited Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thiland was 54.5%. To compare the efficiency of test methods, 25 randomly selected specimens were tested by the MAC-ELISA and IFA simultaneously. 9 specimens showed postive results with the MAC-ELISA method whereas 13 speciments were positive with the IFA methods. CONCLUSION: Confirming the diagnosis of dengue fever with antibody against dengue virus was attempted for the first time in Korea. The results from our study indicate that establishing a national surveillance and/or laboratory diagnostic system in Korea are necessary. In addtion, antibody test strategies for national surveillance system should be carefully considered.
Antibodies ; Dengue Virus* ; Dengue* ; Diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Indonesia ; Korea ; Malaysia ; Philippines ; Severe Dengue ; Virus Diseases

BACKGROUND: Recently, dengue fever has increased throughout tropical regions and emerged as the most important vector borne viral disease in human. 4 serotypes of viruses are circulating concurrently in these regions and thus it may be anticipated to increase risk of dengue hemorrhagic fever. Even though dengue fever is still not endemic in Korea, it is necessary to test antibodies against dengue viruses because the number of Koreans who have visited these regions is continuously increasing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum specimens from persons with suspected dengue fever had been collected. Commercial kit, immunochromatographic test (ICA), and the IgM capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (MAC-ELISA) were employed for dengue fever detection in these studies. For confirmation randomized 25 specimens among total of 99 specimens were selected and compared with those results from commercial kit and IFA. RESULTS: 33 (33.3%) among 99 specimens showed positive antibody against dengue virus by commercial kit. Positive rate of traveller who have visited Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thiland was 54.5%. To compare the efficiency of test methods, 25 randomly selected specimens were tested by the MAC-ELISA and IFA simultaneously. 9 specimens showed postive results with the MAC-ELISA method whereas 13 speciments were positive with the IFA methods. CONCLUSION: Confirming the diagnosis of dengue fever with antibody against dengue virus was attempted for the first time in Korea. The results from our study indicate that establishing a national surveillance and/or laboratory diagnostic system in Korea are necessary. In addtion, antibody test strategies for national surveillance system should be carefully considered.
Antibodies ; Dengue Virus* ; Dengue* ; Diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Indonesia ; Korea ; Malaysia ; Philippines ; Severe Dengue ; Virus Diseases

Diabetic muscle infarction (DMI) is a rare condition occurring in subjects with long-standing complicated diabetes mellitus. We report DMI in a 65-year-old man with type 2 diabetes mellitus undergoing continous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) with review of this condition in the literature. He had been suffered from type 2 diabetes mellitus for 21 years. In 1997, he reached end-stage renal disease and had received on renal replacement therapy with CAPD since then. In June 2002, he presented with sudden and spontaneous onset of severe pain in the right thigh region. He was afebrile, and the right thigh was swollen and tender but not erythematous. Laboratory data on admission included white blood cell count of 15, 800/mm3, hemoglobin 9.0 g/dL, platelet count 264, 000/mm3, BUN 102.3 mg/dL, serum creatinine 9.9 mg/dL, fasting blood glucose 85 mg/dL, postprandial 2 hours blood glucose 162 mg/ dL, hemoglobin A1C 5.84%, ESR 125 mm/h (it was 52 mm/h one month earlier), CRP 18.9 mg/dL, and normal levels of creatinine kinase. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed asymmetry of the muscle in T1-weighted images and increased signal intensity involving the medial portion of right thigh (adductor longus, adductor magnus, vastus intermedius muscle, etc) in T2-weighted images with no contrast enhancement. Radioisotope venography of the ileo-femoral veins was normal, excluding deep venous thrombosis as a cause. The right thigh was explored surgically and a biopsy taken from the vastus intermedius muscle was consistent with chronically inflammed scar tissue with no evidence of malignancy. A biopsy taken from the vastus intermedius muscle showed hemorrhagic necrosis of skeletal muscle, with lymphcytic infiltration. Most of the blood vessels appeared normal. The swelling resolved spontaneously following a few weeks of bedrest and analgesia. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of DMI in patients undergoing renal replacement therapy in Korea.
Aged ; Analgesia ; Bed Rest ; Biopsy ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Vessels ; Cicatrix ; Creatinine ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Fasting ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Korea ; Leukocyte Count ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Necrosis ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Phlebography ; Phosphotransferases ; Platelet Count ; Quadriceps Muscle ; Renal Replacement Therapy ; Thigh ; Veins ; Venous Thrombosis

BACKGROUND: The objective of the present study was to assess the efficacy and safety of iron sucrose by determining the subsequent change in hemoglobin (Hgb), hematocrit (Hct), transferrin saturation (TAST), serum ferritin values and blood pressures in hemodialysis patients receiving Epoetin. METHODS: A total of 19 adult patients who had been receiving hemodialysis three times a week at Chonnam Natinal University Hospital were assigned. Their Hgb level was less than 10 g/dL and their serum ferritin level was less than 100 ng/mL, and/or TSAT was less than 20%. Iron sucrose was administered as 1,000 mg in 10 divided doses diluted in 100 mL normal saline over the last 60 minutes during hemodialysis with a one-time prior test dose of 20 mg on 10 consecutive dialysis sessions. Iron sucrose dosage was adjusted to 25-100 mg/week depending on serum ferritin level, and TSAT in the following 3 months. Epoetin administration was stopped due to insurance regulation when Hgb level was more than 10 g/dL and Hct level was more than 30 %. To evaluate efficacy of iron sucrose, assessment of serum iron parameters and anemia indices was determined just before the first dose (baseline), at 1 month after the first dose (loading) and then, monthly for 3 months (maintenance). To evaluate safety of iron sucrose, we recorded blood pressure 1 hour before and at the time of completion of iron sucrose injection, and also recorded blood pressure during observation sessions before dialysis and at intervals of 2 hours and 4 hours after starting dialysis. We determined routine serum chemistry and hematologic results at 1 month after the first dose and compared results with those obtained at baseline. RESULTS: 1,000 mg iron surcose injection in 10 divided dose (loading) produced a significant rise in Hgb, Hct, serum iron, serum ferritin, TSAT, MCV and MCH at 1 month after first dose (respectively p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.01, p<0.001, p<0.01, p<0.01, p< 0.01). During the following maintenance period of 3 months, Hgb, Hct, serrum ferritin, and TSAT level remained more elevated than at baseline respectively. In 19 enrolled patients, we experienced no serious adverse drug reactions and no significant changes in intradialytic blood pressure associated with iron sucrose administration. Serum albumin concentrations was higher at 1 month than at base line and however, changes in other serum chemistry and hematologic results were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Intravenous iron sucrose administration is an efficient and safe method to supply iron in end-stage renal disease patients receiving Epoetin with iron deficiency, who are undergoing hemodialysis.
Adult ; Anemia ; Blood Pressure ; Chemistry ; Dialysis ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Ferritins ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Insurance ; Iron* ; Jeollanam-do ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Renal Dialysis* ; Serum Albumin ; Sucrose* ; Transferrin

Aluminum nanoparticles (Al-NPs) are one of the most widely used nanomaterial in cosmetics and medical materials. For this reason, Al-NP exposure is very likely to occur via inhalation in the environment and the workplace. Nevertheless, little is known about the mechanism of Al-NP neurotoxicity via inhalation exposure. In this study, we investigated the effect AL-NPs on the brain. Rats were exposed to Al-NPs by nasal instillation at 1 mg/kg body weight (low exposure group), 20 mg/kg body weight (moderate exposure group), and 40 mg/kg body weight (high exposure group), for a total of 3 times, with a 24-hr interval after each exposure. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis indicated that the presence of aluminum was increased in a dose-dependent manner in the olfactory bulb (OFB) and the brain. In microarray analysis, the regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) activity (GO: 0043405), including Ptprc, P2rx7, Map2k4, Trib3, Trib1, and Fgd4 was significantly over-expressed in the treated mice than in the controls (p = 0.0027). Moreover, Al-NPs induced the activation of ERK1 and p38 MAPK protein expression in the brain, but did not alter the protein expression of JNK, when compared to the control. These data demonstrate that the nasal exposure of Al-NPs can permeate the brain via the olfactory bulb and modulate the gene and protein expression of MAPK and its activity.
Aluminum* ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Brain* ; Inhalation ; Inhalation Exposure ; Mass Spectrometry ; Mice ; Microarray Analysis ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; Nanoparticles* ; Nanostructures ; Olfactory Bulb ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; Plasma ; Rats*

BACKGROUND: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is prevalent among patients with diabetes mellitus and impaired renal function. To estimate the prevalence of ED in diabetic nephropathy and to identify its risk factors, we carried out a survey of patients with diabetic nephropathy attending Chonnam University Hospital. METHODS: The presence of ED was assessed among 106 type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria or overt diabetic nephropathy or renal replacement therapy using its self- administered International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). ED was also classified into five validated severity levels, ranging from none (22-25), mild (17-21), mild/moderate (12-16), moderate (8-11), through severe (5-7). Logistic regression was used to examine associations between ED and other medical conditions. RESULTS: The mean age was 45.30+/-8.57 years in patients without ED and 58.53+/-8.46 years in patients with ED. The prevalence of any level of ED was 72% using IIEF. An independent t-test and chi-square demonstrated age, smoking, smoking duration, degree of nephropathy, coronary heart disease, neuropathy, diabetic foot, and retinopathy to be associated with the presence of any level of ED. Patients with ED had lower serum levels of hemoglobin, albumin, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol and higher serum levels of BUN in unadjusted analyses compared with patients without ED. A multivariable logistic regression demonstrated age, serum creatinine concentration, and renal replacement therapy to be independently associated with the presence of any level of ED. CONCLUSION: ED is extremely prevalent among type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria or overt diabetic nephropathy or renal replacement therapy. Increased age and serum creatinine concentration, and renal replacement therapy were associated with higher prevalence of ED.
Coronary Disease ; Creatinine ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Nephropathies* ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; Erectile Dysfunction* ; Foot ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Prevalence ; Renal Replacement Therapy ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis, a major problem in patients undergoing chronic dialysis treatment, has been characterized as an inflammatory disease. Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of mortality, accouting for approximately half of all deaths in this population. The present study was aimed whether CRP, an important inflammatory marker, might be associated with cardiovascular risk in dialysis patients. METHODS: We performed retrospective study in 77 dialysis patients. Patients were divided into the elevated CRP group (>8 mg/L, n=11) and the normal CRP group (8 mg/L) showed significant higher cardiovascular events (by chi-squre test, p=0.032). BMI, smoking, alcohol, dialysis modality, lipid parameters, BUN, serum creatinine, serum protein, serum albumin and seurm TIBC did not show significant difference between two groups. Correlation between CRP and other biochemical parameters was analysed. Only ESR was positively correlated with CRP. In a subsequent analysis, elevated CRP group had significantly higher cardiovascular risk (by stepwise logistic regression method, odd ratio = 6.59;95% CI, 1.13 to 38.28). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that CRP level is correlated with cardiovascular risk in dialysis patients.
Atherosclerosis ; Body Mass Index ; C-Reactive Protein ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Creatinine ; Dialysis* ; Ferritins ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mortality ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Renal Dialysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Serum Albumin ; Smoke ; Smoking