BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a major etiologic agent of hospital acquired infection. Coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS) species are previously regarded as contaminants. However nowadays CNS were regarded as an important cause of bacteremia. So in this study we wanted to analyze the patterns of plasmids and antimicrobial susceptibility test of Staphylococcus species isolated from clinical specimens. METHOD: Plasmid DNA was extracted and then processed through restriction enzyme digestion for plasmid analysis of S. aureus and antimicrobial susceptibility, which was done by agar dilution method. For S. epidermidis plasmid analysis was done without enzyme digestion. RESULTS: All of MRSA have 1 to 5 plasmids. There exists 6 patterns of S. aureus plasmid without enzyme digestion. With EcoRI and HindIII digestion pattern were more distinct and clear. For S. epidermidis enzyme digestion is not needed. Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of S. aureus are simple whereas S. epidermidis showed variable patterns. CONCLUSIONS: For the plasmid analysis of S. aureus restriction enzyme digestion is required and for the S. epidermidis, the pattern of plasmids are variable so without restriction enzyme analysis we can obtain several patterns. Plasmid analysis will be used as a good epidemilogical tool for Staphylococcus.
Agar ; Bacteremia ; Coagulase ; Digestion ; DNA ; DNA Restriction Enzymes* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Plasmids* ; Restriction Mapping ; Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus*

Endoscopic removal is acceptable for the treatment of endotracheal/endobronchial mass, because it is less invasive in high-risk patients and a conservative procedure for benign tumors. Two benign tumors in the lumen of the trachea (pure lipoma) and in the intermediate bronchus (hamartoma) were completely eradicated by our procedures, which involved diathermic snaring and residual mass removal with biopsy forceps under the guidance of fiberoptic bronchoscopy. No tumor recurrence was evident after extended follow-up (6 years for endotracheal lipoma and 2.5 years for endobroncheal hamartoma). Our method is safe and less invasive for the patient and provides the surgeon with better view during procedure.
Biopsy ; Bronchi ; Bronchial Neoplasms ; Bronchoscopy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lipoma ; Recurrence ; SNARE Proteins ; Surgical Instruments ; Trachea ; Tracheal Neoplasms

Tuberculomas of the lung are rare in children and one of the more common lesions presenting a solitary pulmonary nodule roetgenorgraphically. We are reporting of a 3-year-old child with a tuberculoma in left upper lobe. The patient was initially diagnosed as the benign mediastinal tumor but in the end as tuberculoma in left uper lobe. Wedge resection including the mass was done. The tumor had brown smooth external surfaces on sectioning including the mass was done. The tumor had brown smooth external surfaces on sectioning show pale gray and soft cut surface was shown. In light electromicroscopy chronic granulomas with multinucleated giant cells and central caseous necrosis were observed which are the characteristics of tuberculoma. The postopeative course was smooth and uneventful and patient has been well for 4 months postoperatively.
Child* ; Child, Preschool* ; Giant Cells ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Lung ; Necrosis ; Solitary Pulmonary Nodule ; Tuberculoma*

BACKGROUND: The pulmonary nodules (PN), when indicated, need thoracoscopic resection, especially in cases of non-diagnostic or technically infeasible PCNA (percutaneous needle aspiration). In the difficult situations of small or deeply seated PN, several techniques facilitating thoracoscopy have been used for detecting them. Our new protocol for managing PN was developed and prospectively reviewed. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In the procedure of PCNA, we firstly placed the tip of the needle in the center of, or just in contact with PN under CT guidance, and loaded one or two segments of platinum radiomarker inside the needle after removing the stylet. Then, we forced the radiomarker to move to the tip of the needle by pushing the stylet. Finally, if the tip of the needle was not within PN, it was reoriented to the their center to obtain the sample for PCNA. RESULT: Between May 1999 and May 2000, radiomarkers were successfully placed in 28 PN of 26 patients, with the exception of one. In 18 (85%) of 21 nodules needing throacoscopy, intraoperative fluoroscopy was used to detect them or guide stapling resection during thoracoscopy. CONCLUSION: The advantages of this technique are that there is that there is no need for further localization for thoracoscopy even in cases of unsuccessful PCNA, and it was more effective in respect to both cost and time. Therefore, this strategy for PN expecting thoracoscopy will be helpful to patients and medical staff alike.
Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Medical Staff ; Needles ; Platinum ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Prospective Studies ; Thoracoscopy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Obesity is a chronic disease that requires good eating habits and an active life style. Obesity may start in childhood and continue until adulthood. Severely obese children have complications such as diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension and atherosclerosis. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of exercise programs on anthropometric, metabolic, and cardiovascular parameters in obese children. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Fifty four obese children were included. Anthropometric data such as blood pressures, body mass index (BMI) and obesity index (OI) were measured. Blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), high sensitive-CRP (hs-CRP), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (BaPWV) and ankle brachial index (ABI) were measured. Physical fitness measurements were done. Obese children were divided into three groups: an aerobic exercise group (n=16), a combined exercise group (n=20), and a control group (n=18). Obese children exercised in each program for 10 weeks while those in the control group maintained their former lifestyle. After 10 weeks, anthropometric data and cardiovascular parameters were compared with the data obtained before the exercise program. RESULTS: LDL-C, waist circumference, and systolic blood pressure decreased significantly in the aerobic exercise group compared to the control group (p<0.05). Waist circumference and systolic blood pressure decreased significantly in the combined exercise group compared to controls (p<0.05). Physical fitness level increased significantly after the exercise programs (p<0.05 vs. control). PWV did not show a significant change after exercise. CONCLUSION: A short-term exercise program can play an important role in decreasing BMI, blood pressure, waist circumference, LDL-C and in improving physical fitness. Future investigations are now necessary to clarify the effectiveness of exercise on various parameters.
Alanine Transaminase ; Ankle Brachial Index ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Atherosclerosis ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Child ; Cholesterol ; Chronic Disease ; Eating ; Exercise ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hypertension ; Life Style ; Obesity ; Physical Fitness ; Pulse Wave Analysis ; Triglycerides ; Waist Circumference

Purpose: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common hematologic malignancy worldwide. Although substantial improvement has been achieved by the frontline rituximab-based chemoimmunotherapy, up to 40%-50% of patients will eventually have relapsed or refractory disease, whose prognosis is extremely dismal. Materials and Methods: We have carried out two prospective cohort studies that include over 1,500 DLBCL patients treated with rituximab plus CHOP (#NCT01202448 and #NCT02474550). In the current report, we describe the outcomes of refractory DLBCL patients. Patients were defined to have refractory DLBCL if they met one of the followings, not achieving at least partial response after 4 or more cycles of R-CHOP; not achieving at least partial response after 2 or more cycles of salvage therapy; progressive disease within 12 months after autologous stem cell transplantation. Results: Among 1,581 patients, a total of 260 patients met the criteria for the refractory disease after a median time to progression of 9.1 months. The objective response rate of salvage treatment was 26.4%, and the complete response rate was 9.6%. The median overall survival (OS) was 7.5 months (95% confidence interval, 6.4 to 8.6), and the 2-year survival rate was 22.1%±2.8%. The median OS for each refractory category was not significantly different (p=0.529). Conclusion In line with the previous studies, the outcomes of refractory DLBCL patients were extremely poor, which necessitates novel approaches for this population.