PURPOSE: We report a case of unilateral, focal, pigmented paravenous retinochoroidal atrophy (PPRCA). CASE SUMMARY: A 46-year-old female visited our clinic in complaint of a vague problem with her right eye identified during a general medical examination. The visual acuity (without correction) of both eyes was 1.0. Slit-lamp examination of both eyes revealed no specific signs. Fundus examination of the right eye revealed focal, bony-spicule-shaped retinochoroidal atrophy with pigmentation along the course of the superior retinal vein. A fundus autofluorescence examination revealed principally hypofluorescence with some hyperfluorescence at the margin of the atrophic retinochoroidal lesion. Optical coherence tomography revealed mixed clumping and atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer and thinning of the choriocapillaris layer. Fluorescence angiography revealed a window defect and blockage at the site of the lesion (the fluorescent material did not enter the lesion). The site of the window defect was in correlation with the atrophic RPE region. The site of the blockage at lesion also matched with the site of the regional pigment clumping. No definite leakage was observed. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of unilateral focal PPRCA reported from Korea.
Atrophy ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Pigmentation ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; Retinal Vein ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: The cross-protection of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) against vaccine-related serotypes has been controversial. We investigated the serological properties of cross-protective antibodies against vaccine-related serotypes 6A, 6C, and 19A induced in young children aged 12-23 months after booster immunization of PCV7. METHODS: IgG and IgM antibody concentrations and opsonic index (OI) against vaccine serotypes 6B and 19F and vaccine-related serotypes 6A, 6C, and 19A were measured by ELISA and opsonophagocytic killing assay (OPA) in 4 selected immunesera. The serological properties and antigenic specificity of protective antibodies were determined by IgM depletion of immunesera, OPA, and competitive OPA against serogroup 6 and 19 pneumococci. RESULTS: Compared to pre-IgM depleted immunesera, OI of IgM-depleted immunesera against 6B and 19F decreased and OI against 6A, 6C, and 19A decreased, too. In competition OPA, free 6B and 19F polysaccharide completely inhibited the immune protection against vaccine-related serotypes 6A, 6C, and 19A as well as vaccine types 6B and 19F. CONCLUSIONS: The booster immunization of PCV7 certainly induced cross-protective antibodies against vaccine-related serotypes 6A, 6C, and 19A with both IgG and IgM isotypes. Furthermore, IgM antibodies are more highly contributed to opsonophagocytic activity against vaccine-related serotypes as well as most of vaccine types than do IgG antibodies. Further studies are needed for the more immunized sera in the children as well as adults.
Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies ; Child ; Cross Protection ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epitopes ; Homicide ; Humans ; Immunization ; Immunization, Secondary ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Pneumococcal Vaccines ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine

No abstract available.
Animals ; Interleukin-2 ; Mice*

No abstract available.
Transposases*

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is one of the treatment options used for patients with myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), although its effectiveness is controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ESWT in the treatment of MPS in terms of pain relief and functional improvements. METHODS: We assessed 93 patients with MPS who underwent ESWT from March 2009 to July 2014. After exclusion of 25 patients with shoulder diseases, 68 patients were enrolled in the study. The mean follow-up period was 7.5 months (± 4.2 weeks), and the average duration of symptoms was 5 months (range, 2-16 months). ESWT was applied to intramuscular taut bands and referred pain areas once a week for 3 weeks. Visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores were obtained at an initial assessment and at the 6-week, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up assessments. RESULTS: VAS pain scores and ASES scores improved significantly after 3 sessions of ESWT (p<0.05). Both scores were improved, although not significantly, after 6 weeks (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ESWT is an effective treatment option for patients with MPS.
Elbow ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Myofascial Pain Syndromes* ; Pain, Referred ; Shock* ; Shoulder ; Visual Analog Scale

A total of 100 Vibrio spp. strains were examined for production of various extracellular enzyme and for plasmid content plasmid were subjected to digestion with restriction enzymes. Most of them produced extracellular enzyme more than one, especially V. parahaemolyticus and V. cholerae non-01 strains were showed production of various extracellular enzymes. About the 55% Vibrio spp. have the plasmid more than one, but a lot of Vibrio spp. (about 45%) did not possess any plasmid. Most of these plasmid various derivatives ranged from 2.4 kb-23 kb, especially two strains of V. mimicus and one strain of V. furnissii carried one high-molecular weight plasmid (molecular weight ranging between 70 kb-100 kb). Results of restriction analysis for plasmid of this three strains were by no means the rule. For detection of tdh and ctx gene, the virulence factor involved in the pathogenesis, we carried out the TDH, CT assay, PCR amplification, and hybridization. A total 11 strains were produced TDH, involved in 4 strains of V. parahaemolyticus and 1 strain of V. cholerae non-01 from clinical isolates and 6 strains of environmental isolates. Nine strains of 11 strains, involved in 4 strains of V. parahaemolyticus and 1 strain of V. cholerae non-01 from clinical isolates and 4 strains of V. parahaemolyticus from environmental isolates, could be successfully amplified in 400 bp by PCR, no amplification products were obtained from TDH-negative strains. The PCR results were consistent with DNA hybridization. In the experiments of ctx gene detection, in all, 3 strains of V. cholerae non-01 from clinical isolate and 1 strains of V. cholerae non-01 from environmental isolate were observed CT- positive. These CT-producing strains amplified in 302 bp by PCR for the detection of ctx gene. All CT-producing strains hybridized with digoxigenin-labeled DNA probe, while CT-negative strains did not hybridize. Also hybridization tests results for detection of ctx gene consistent with PCR.
Cholera ; Digestion ; DNA ; Plasmids ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Vibrio* ; Virulence Factors* ; Virulence*

PURPOSE: In the present study, two cases of intraoperative acute opacification of hydrophilic intraocular lens were reported. CASE SUMMARY: (Case 1) A sixty-seven year-old female presented with chronic visual impairment. Slit lamp examination revealed nuclear cataract of the left eye. Cataract surgery for her left eye was performed. A hydrophilic intraocular lens was checked before implantation and no defect was noted. Immediately after the implantation of the intraocular lens, acute whitish opacification of the intraocular lens occurred. However, the intraocular lens was not explanted, and the opacification cleared after one day. (Case 2) A 65 year-old male presented with chronic visual impairment of the left eye. Nuclear cataract of his left eye was noted, and he went through cataract surgery of the left eye. After the implantation of intraocular lens, acute whitish opacification of the intraocular lens was noted but it disappeared a day after. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative acute opacification of intraocular lens seems to occur due to radical temperature change. There is no need to remove or exchange the intraocular lens as opacification tends to clear within a day. No structural or mechanical change of intraocular lens was noted after opacification. Careful management of temperature for intraocular lens storage is necessary for prevention of intraoperative intraocular lens clouding.
Cataract ; Female ; Humans ; Lenses, Intraocular ; Male ; Slit Lamp ; Vision Disorders

PURPOSE: A case of a transient visual field defect and a change in spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) after an overdose of sildenafil citrate is described. CASE SUMMARY: A 67-year-old male with no previous medical history presented with a bluish tinge and visual field defect in both eyes. He had consumed eight tablets of sildenafil citrate (800 mg) 3 days before the visit. His best-corrected visual acuity was 14/20 in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye. No specific finding was noted on slit-lamp examination. Fundus examination and fundus photography revealed focal foveal hypopigmentation in both eyes. He underwent SD-OCT imaging with the Cirrus HD-OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Oberkochen, Germany), and thickening of the ellipsoid zone and choroid was revealed by SD-OCT scans. He was advised not to take any more sildenafil citrate and was followed for 1 week after the first visit. Central scotomas of both eyes were revealed by a visual field test, and thickening of the ellipsoid zone and choroid remained. His eyes were re-evaluated 1 and 3 months after the first visit, and although the symptoms nearly disappeared, abnormalities in the visual field test and on SD-OCT remained, albeit with some degree of improvement. He revisited us 4 months after the first visit, at which time the visual field test and SD-OCT scans showed results within normal ranges. CONCLUSIONS: Sildenafil citrate overdose can result in a color anomaly (bluish tinge), visual field defects, and thickening of the ellipsoid zone and choroid on SD-OCT scans.
Aged ; Choroid ; Humans ; Hypopigmentation ; Male ; Photography ; Reference Values ; Scotoma ; Sildenafil Citrate ; Tablets ; Tolnaftate ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Visual Acuity ; Visual Field Tests ; Visual Fields

Purpose: To investigate the influence of cataract surgery on detection of a foveal avascular zone (FAZ) and retinal capillary density (RCD) by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods: In this study, 64 eyes of 64 patients with cataracts who underwent surgery were included and studied retrospectively. All patients underwent cataract surgery of the included eye and a FAZ was detected on OCTA preoperatively and postoperatively using one of two kinds of OCTA devices. The FAZ and RCD were compared before and after cataract surgery using paired t-test. Results: Using the Cirrus Angioplex OCTA device, there was no significant pre- or post-operative difference in the FAZ area (p = 0.060), perimeter (p = 0.052) and circularity (p = 0.190). It also revealed no significant difference between the central (p = 0.310), inner (p = 0.310), and outer (p = 0.310) zones and full RCD (p = 0.228) before and after cataract surgery The Spectralis OCTA device also showed no significant difference in the FAZ area (p = 0.239) before and after cataract surgery. Conclusions Cataract surgery does not affect detection of the FAZ and RCD on OCTA. Although patients who have a FAZ-related retinal disorder such as diabetic retinopathy and undergo cataract surgery are followed up regularly, it seems that the results gained by OCTA are reliable and comparable to the preoperative result.

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Carcinoma* ; Female ; Ovary* ; Teratoma*