Objective: To evaluate the anti-mycobacterial activity of Melia azedarach L. (M. azedarach) and Lobelia chinensis Lour. (L. chinensis) extracts against the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis).
Methods: The anti-M. tuberculosis activity of M. azedarach and L. chinensis extracts were evaluated using different indicator methods such as resazurin microtiter assay (REMA) and mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT) 960 system assay. The M. tuberculosis was incubated with various concentrations (50–800 mg/mL) of the ex-tracts for 5 days in the REMA, and for 4 weeks in MGIT 960 system assay.
Results: M. azedarach and L. chinensis extracts showed their anti-M. tuberculosis ac-tivity by strongly inhibiting the growth of M. tuberculosis in a concentration-dependent manner in the REMA and the MGIT 960 system assay. Particularly, the methanol extract of M. azedarach and n-hexane extract of L. chinensis consistently exhibited their effects by effectively inhibiting the growth of M. tuberculosis in MGIT 960 system for 4 weeks with a single-treatment, indicating higher anti-M. tuberculosis activity than other extracts, and their minimum inhibitory concentrations were measured as 400 mg/mL and 800 mg/mL, respectively.
Conclusions: These results demonstrate that M. azedarach and L. chinensis extracts not only have unique anti-M. tuberculosis activity, but also induce the selective anti-M. tuberculosis effects by consistently inhibiting or blocking the growth of M. tuberculosis through a new pharmacological action. Therefore, this study suggests the potential of them as effective candidate agents of next-generation for developing a new anti-tuberculosis drug, as well as the advantage for utilizing traditional medicinal plants as one of effective strategies against tuberculosis.

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to identify factors that influence 17-OHP levels in preterm infants and to suggest a reasonable follow-up schedule of screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) in preterm infants. METHODS: The 17-OHP concentrations in filter paper blood spots of 427 preterm infants were obtained. The effects of gestational age (GA), systemic diseases, and antenatal dexamethasone on screening and follow-up 17-OHP values were investigated. RESULTS: The screening 17-OHP values were markedly variable (range: 0.1-143.3 ng/mL). The screening 17-OHP levels were negatively correlated with GA (r=-0.535, P<0.01). In infants with GA <32 weeks, the screening 17-OHP levels were significantly higher in sick infants or infant with hypotension than in healthy infants. The screening values of prenatal dexamethasone-treated infants had a tendency to be low. In infants with initial 17-OHP values > or =20 ng/mL, the intervals until rescreening 17-OHP <10 ng/mL or serum 17-OHP <20 ng/mL were negatively correlated with GA (r=-0.541, P<0.01) and were prolonged in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.01). None of the preterm infants were confirmatively diagnosed with CAH. CONCLUSION: The 17-OHP values of preterm infants were influenced by GA, prenatal dexamethasone, and postnatal diseases. Because the 17-OHP vlues of preterm infants were markedly variable, a follow-up schedule should be developed considering both 17-OHP values and clinical status.
Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital ; Appointments and Schedules ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; Dexamethasone ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Mass Screening ; Neonatal Screening

OBJECTIVES: Interleukin-6 is a pleiotrophic cytokine that is not only a mediator in major immunologic reactions but also a growth factor of keratinocytes. We studied IL-6 mRNA expression in cervical cancer, CIN and normal cervix. And we questioned whether its expression is related to cervical carcinogenesis and other prognostic factors. METHODS: The normal cervical and cervical cancer tissues were taken from healthy women (n=16), and the patients with CIN (n=36) and cervical cancer (n=36). The IL-6 mRNA expression was examined by quantitative competitive PCR after polymerase chain reaction amplification of reverse transcriptase copies of RNA transcripts (RT-PCR). RESULTS: There was no statistically different among cervical cancer, CIN and normal cervix (p>0.05). The IL-6 mRNA expression was not different according to the grades of CIN. Its expression was not correlated with the stage of cervical cancer, size of tumor, and histopathologic type (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggested that IL-6 mRNA expression might not be associated with the cervical carcinogenesis and prognosis of cervical cancer.
Carcinogenesis ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia* ; Cervix Uteri ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-6* ; Keratinocytes ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prognosis ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger* ; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

The classical triad of abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloody stool is absent in chronic intussusception for more than 2 weeks. Here, we report a 6-year-old female with recurrent abdominal pain for 2 months. Ultrasonography of the abdomen revealed an ileocolic-type intussusception. The lesion accompanying the tight fibrous adhesion was treated by resection and ileocolic anastomosis. It was diagnosed as intussusception with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. A high index of suspicion for abdominal pain in children should result in the correct diagnosis and appropriate management.
Abdominal Pain/*etiology/ultrasonography ; Child ; Constipation/*etiology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Intussusception/diagnosis/*etiology/surgery ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/*complications/*diagnosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The clinical and pathological features of warty dyskeratoma are presented. Warty dyskeratoma is a rarely encountered, solitary, benign cutaneous tumor occurring most often on the head and neck and to our knowledge, no cases associated with cutaneous horn have been published in western literature. We experienced a case of warty dyskeratoma with a cutaneous horn occurring in a 70-year-old male, who had a 1.3 cm-sized and slowly growing nodule on his neck. A brief review of the literature, was made especially in relation to the pathological findings and histogenesis of warty dyskeratoma.
Aged ; Animals ; Head ; Horns* ; Humans ; Male ; Neck

The peritoneal equilibration test(PET) has been recommended in adults as a standardized means of estimating solute transport. However, it appears that norrns for pediatric PD patients may be different. We performed a PET on 16 children aged 3 to 18 years using a dwell volume for 30ml/kg of 2.596 dialysate. Our children transported glucose more rapidly than adults, however, creatinine transport was not significantly different. Age did not correlate with D/13% glucose or drainage volume. There was negative correlation between D/D% glucose and D/P Cr. There was no significant difference between initial and maintenance CAPD patients. There was slight difference in patients with previous peritonitis. In conclusion, there was difference in glucose transport between children and adults.
Adult ; Child* ; Creatinine ; Drainage ; Glucose ; Humans ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Peritonitis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Intracardiac pathology results in 15 - 20% of ischemic stroke, but transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) has a number of limitations because of suboptimal precordial windows or ultrasound interference with prosthetic materials. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) provides superior resolution of basal structures such as the left atrium, left atrial appendage, mitral valvular apparatus, atrial septum, and aorta. The purpose of this study was to describe the various TEE findings which were sources of cerebral emboli. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The study population was comprised of 122 patients (mean age:54.5, male 83, female 39) who were admitted to Severance Hospital because of ischemic stroke from 1991 to 1997. All patients underwent TEE with agitated saline contrast administration. Patients without a definitive cardiac source of embolism underwent Holtor monitoring, internal carotid and cerebral angiography, as well as transcranial Doppler. RESULTS: 1) The number of patients diagnosed as cardioembolic stroke was 55 (45.1%). Atrial fibrillation was noted in 31 patients of cardioembolic stroke and it was the most frequent finding. Among these patients, 16 did not have any other cardiac problem. 2) We were able to find the possible source of embolism in 49 (40.2%) patients with TEE. Among these patients, 12 did not have dysrhythmia or any known previous heart problem. We found spontaneous echo contrast in the left atrium and left atrial appendage in 33 cases. There were 8 patients who had intracardiac thrombus. Among these patients, 6 patients had thrombi in the left atrial appendage, 1 in left atrium and 1 in left ventricular apex. We found patent foramen ovale in 3 cases and atrial aneurysm in 1 case. We found atheromatous plaque and/or thrombi of the aorta in 16 cases, while there were 4 cases where lesions located in the ascending aorta and aortic arch and which were considered as the source of embolism. Small thrombi in the left atrial appendage and left atrium were only detectable with TEE. CONCLUSIONS: We described TEE findings in ischemic stroke patients. And we assert TEE is a useful diagnostic tool in detecting the source of cardioembolic stroke and it may be used as a primary diagnostic tool in patients who are being evaluated for ischemic stroke.
Aneurysm ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Atrial Appendage ; Atrial Fibrillation ; Atrial Septum ; Cerebral Angiography ; Dihydroergotamine ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Embolism ; Female ; Foramen Ovale, Patent ; Heart ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Intracranial Embolism ; Male ; Pathology ; Stroke* ; Thrombosis ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: T cells play a central role in cell-mediated immunity, atopic disease, and asthma. The balance of CD28/cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4)-derived signal transduction plays an important role in the activation of T cells and an increased immunoglobulin E (IgE) response. The aim of the current study was to investigate the association between polymorphisms in the genes encoding both CTLA4 and the high-affinity IgE receptor 1B (FCER1B) and serum IgE levels in Korean children with asthma. METHODS: We enrolled 238 controls and 742 children with asthma. The CTLA4 +49A/G and FCER1B -654C/T polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. RESULTS: We observed no difference in the distribution of CTLA4 +49A/G among controls, children with asthma, and those with atopic asthma. In contrast, the GA genotype of CTLA4 +49A/G in children with atopic asthma was significantly higher compared to that in those with non-atopic asthma. Moreover, significantly higher log Dp/Df-specific IgE levels were found in children with asthma and those with atopic asthma carrying one or two copies of the CTLA4 +49A versus those homozygous for +49G. Gene-gene interactions between CTLA4 and FCER1B with the heterozygote and homozygote of variant genotypes were associated with the log Dp/Df-specific IgE levels, but not asthma development. In addition, children with Dp/Df (+) asthma carried an elevated combined genotype of risk allele compared to those with Dp/Df (-) asthma. CONCLUSIONS: The CTLA4 +49A/G polymorphism may contribute to the production of IgE in Korean children with asthma, especially in Dp/Df-specific IgE levels, but not in the direct development of asthma. In addition, Dp/Df-specific IgE levels with a FCER1B -654C/T polymorphism may involve additive effects.
Alleles ; Asthma ; Child ; Coat Protein Complex I ; Dermatophagoides farinae ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Genotype ; Heterozygote ; Homozygote ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulins ; Lifting ; Signal Transduction ; T-Lymphocytes

PURPOSE: T cells play a central role in cell-mediated immunity, atopic disease, and asthma. The balance of CD28/cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4)-derived signal transduction plays an important role in the activation of T cells and an increased immunoglobulin E (IgE) response. The aim of the current study was to investigate the association between polymorphisms in the genes encoding both CTLA4 and the high-affinity IgE receptor 1B (FCER1B) and serum IgE levels in Korean children with asthma. METHODS: We enrolled 238 controls and 742 children with asthma. The CTLA4 +49A/G and FCER1B -654C/T polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. RESULTS: We observed no difference in the distribution of CTLA4 +49A/G among controls, children with asthma, and those with atopic asthma. In contrast, the GA genotype of CTLA4 +49A/G in children with atopic asthma was significantly higher compared to that in those with non-atopic asthma. Moreover, significantly higher log Dp/Df-specific IgE levels were found in children with asthma and those with atopic asthma carrying one or two copies of the CTLA4 +49A versus those homozygous for +49G. Gene-gene interactions between CTLA4 and FCER1B with the heterozygote and homozygote of variant genotypes were associated with the log Dp/Df-specific IgE levels, but not asthma development. In addition, children with Dp/Df (+) asthma carried an elevated combined genotype of risk allele compared to those with Dp/Df (-) asthma. CONCLUSIONS: The CTLA4 +49A/G polymorphism may contribute to the production of IgE in Korean children with asthma, especially in Dp/Df-specific IgE levels, but not in the direct development of asthma. In addition, Dp/Df-specific IgE levels with a FCER1B -654C/T polymorphism may involve additive effects.
Alleles ; Asthma ; Child ; Coat Protein Complex I ; Dermatophagoides farinae ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Genotype ; Heterozygote ; Homozygote ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulins ; Lifting ; Signal Transduction ; T-Lymphocytes