Invasion of enteric bacteria, such as Salmonella and invasive E. coli, into intestinal epithelial cells induces proinflammatory gene responses and finally epithelial cell apoptosis. In this study, we asked whether invasive bacterial infection of human intestinal epithelial cells could upregulate cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene expression and whether increased COX-2 expression could influence intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis. Expression of COX-2 mRNA and prostaglandin (PG) E production were upregulated in HT-29 colon epithelial cells which were infected with S. dublin or invasive E. coli, as examined by quantitative RT-PCR and radioimmunoassay. Inhibition of COX-2 expression and PGE2 production using NS-398, a specific COX-2 inhibitor, showed a significant increase af epithelial cell apoptosis and caspase-3 activation in HT-29 cells infected with invasive bacteria. However, the addition of valerylsalicylate, a specific COX-1 inhibitor, did not change apoptosis in S. dublin-infected HT-29 cells. These results suggest that upregulated COX-2 expression and PGE2 production in response to invasive bacterial infection could contribute to host defense by inhibiting apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells.
Apoptosis* ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Infections* ; Caspase 3 ; Colon ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Dinoprostone ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Epithelial Cells* ; Gene Expression ; HT29 Cells ; Humans ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases* ; Radioimmunoassay ; RNA, Messenger ; Salmonella

No abstract available.
Colon* ; Polyps*

No abstract available.

The present study was designed to estimate the seroprevalence of NLVs among diarrheagenic children and in healthy adults in Seoul and its vicinity with the use of an EIA and an Western blot (WB) based on recombinant Norwalk virus capsid protein (rNV) and crude virus preparations as antigen. Seroconversion was observed in 34 (83%) of 41 tested using the EIA and in 21 (54%) of 39 using the WB, suggesting that the NLVs with epitopes common to rNV are prevalent in Seoul area. Diarrheal children who were known to have been infected with several other strains of the NLVs showed no significant antibody response to the rNV. Infection with rNV occurred earlier in life: primary infections with rNV were common before the age of 6 months and over 91% of children had evidence of infection by that age by the EIA. Since the amount of the NLV antigens available for seroepidemiologic surveys is limited, we tried to detect NLV antibody by using crude virus preparations as antigen. One crude virus preparation of a child whose stool yielded genetically distinct NLV revealed the presence of the plural number of bands upon SDS-PAGE, but precipitated only one band (62 kDa) after the WB with a serum (collected 10 days after the onset of symptoms) of another diarrheal child. The WB assay we present in this report revealed that the NLVs are prevalent among Korean population and that the sera contained antibody to a single major structural protein, with molecular sizes of 58 to 62 kDa, compatible with the sizes reported for the Norwalk virus and Snow Mountain agent proteins, respectively. When the results of the WB were compared with those obtained by the EIA, the EIA antibody assay was sensitive enough to detect an antibody rise of as much as 4096-fold but not as specific as the WB. The WB assay presented in this paper will provide a powerful tool to elucidate not only antigenic structures of the NLVs but also seroepidemiology of the NLV infection. The availability of an unlimited source of antigen will enable a large scale serologic studies that will greatly increase our understanding of the role of NLVs in human enteric illness.
Adult ; Antibody Formation ; Blotting, Western ; Capsid Proteins ; Capsid* ; Child ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Epitopes ; Humans ; Norovirus* ; Norwalk virus* ; Seoul* ; Seroepidemiologic Studies* ; Snow

No abstract available.
Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic*

BACKGROUND: Brain death is irreversible coma due to injury of brain hemisphere and brain stem regardless of any treatment. In brain-dead patients, diabetes insipidus, hypothermia, acute respiratory failure, and multiorgan failure occur due to brain stem compression injury. The primary goal of organ donor management is maintenance of optimal physiologic environment for organs prior to donation. This study is performed for suggesting the guideline of the prediction and management of multiorgan failure in the brain-dead patient. METHODS: We analyzed 16 brain-dead patients waiting for organ donation in the intensive care unit. The causes of brain death among the donors consisted of closed head injury in 8 patients, subarachnoid hemorrhage in 4, drowning in 1, aplastic anemia in 1, asthmatic attack in 1 and falling-down injury in 1. PaO2/FIO2 (arterial oxygen tension/fractional inspired O2 concentration) was analyzed to demonstrate the progress of respiratory failure. Body temperature, vital signs, urine output, serum osmolarity, urine osmolarity, serum K+, serum Na+, AST(aspartate aminotransferase), ALT(alanine aminotransferase), total bilirubin, BUN(blood urea nitrogen) and creatinine were also analyzed in all patients. RESULTS: Diabetes insipidus were found in 15 patients, hypothermia in 8, renal dysfunction in 2, hepatic dysfunction in 0, and acute respiratory failure in 2 at the time of arrival to intensive care unit. Diabetes insipidus was found in 16patients, hypothermia in 0, renal dysfunction in 0, hepatic dysfunction in 0, and acute respiratory failure in 9 at 16 hours after arrival to intensive care unit. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that hepatic and renal functions were well preserved for long time after brain death and brain-dead patients rapidly progressed to acute respiratory failure. It can be suggested that organ procurement should be performed as soon as possible after brain death was confirmed for successeful organ transplantation.
Anemia, Aplastic ; Bilirubin ; Body Temperature ; Brain ; Brain Death ; Brain Stem ; Creatinine ; Diabetes Insipidus ; Drowning ; Head Injuries, Closed ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Intensive Care Units ; Lung ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Organ Transplantation ; Osmolar Concentration ; Oxygen ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Tissue and Organ Procurement ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants ; Urea ; Vital Signs

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the health-related quality of life (HQOL) and depression in prostate cancer patients with radial prostatectomy or hormonal therapy more than 6 months ago. METHODS: A total of 116 patients participated in the study (83 radical prostatectomy patients and 33 hormonal therapy). Data were collected from 13th September to 13th November 2012, using two instruments-translated into Korean: Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite and Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form. RESULTS: Hormonal therapy participants reported significantly higher scores of HQOL than radical prostatectomy participants did (p=.002). The HQOL subscales with significant differences were urinary function (p<.001) and incontinence (p<.001) under urinary domain and sexual bother (p<.001) under sexual domain. The level of depression was not significantly different between the two treatment groups. There were moderate negative correlations between HQOL and depression in both groups. CONCLUSION: Many of prostate cancer patients reported treatment-related functional deteriorations in urinary and sexual domains and they were depressed even more than 6 months after the treatment completion. To manage prostate cancer patients' HQOL and depression, clinicians including nurses should evaluate patients' complaints according to their treatment modality and intervene accordingly.
Depression* ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Humans ; Prostatectomy* ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Quality of Life*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the multiple mini-interview (MMI) predicts academic achievement for subjects in a medical school curriculum. METHODS: Of 49 students who were admitted in 2008, 46 students finished the entire medical education curriculum within 4 years. We calculated the Pearson correlation coefficients between the total MMI score of the 46 graduates and their academic achievements in all subjects of the curriculum. RESULTS: The correlation coefficients between total MMI score and academic achievement in Medical Interview and History Taking, Problem-Based Learning, Doctoring I, and Clinical Practice of Surgery ranged from 0.4 to 0.7, indicating that they were moderately related. The values between total MMI score and achievement in Research Overview, Technical and Procedural Skills, Clinical Performance Examinations 1 and 3, Clinical Practice of Laboratory Medicine and Psychiatry, Neurology, and Orthopedics ranged from 0.2 to 0.4, which meant that they were weakly related. CONCLUSION: MMI score can predict medical student' academic achievement in subjects in the medical humanities and clinical practice.
Clinical Competence ; Curriculum ; Education, Medical ; Humanities ; Humans ; Neurology ; Orthopedics ; Problem-Based Learning ; Schools, Medical*

Background: Conventional laryngoscopy with Macintosh blade requires a movement of the head, neck and cervical spine. The Bullard laryngoscope is an anatomically shaped, potentially eliminating the need for cervical spine extension. Bullard and Macintosh laryngoscopes were compared by measuring the degree of cervical spine extension by radiological measurement. Methods: Eighteen patients requiring endotracheal intubation were studied. Anesthesia was induced in neutral head position followed by laryngoscopy. Each patients was intubated two times by Macintosh and Bullard laryngoscope in random order. Radiographic evaluation was performed to determine the degree of cervical spine extension on four occasions; before induction, during facial mask ventilation, and during Bullard and Macintosh laryngoscopy. Results: The extension of cervical spine was significantly less following Bullard laryngoscopy than Macintosh laryngoscopy for best view (p<0.05). Conclusions: The Bullard laryngoscope can be used with less cervical spine extension than Macintosh laryngoscope. It may be useful in patients in whom cervical spine movement is limited or undesirable.
Anesthesia ; Head ; Humans ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Laryngoscopes ; Laryngoscopy* ; Masks ; Neck ; Spine* ; Ventilation

This study was made to identify compliance in self-medication, and factors influencing the self-medication of pulmonary TB patients. Self-medication of pulmonary TB patients is a very important factor for the cure of the patients. In this study, variables were used from three theories of health behavior. These were the Health Belief Model, Health Locus of Control, Theory of Planned Behavior. These were included to examine their effect on self-medication. Data were collected during the period from July 1 to August 20, 1994 using a structured questionnaire. And they were analyzed by mean, standard deviation, ANOVA, Pearson Correlation Coefficient, and Multiple Regression analysis using the SAS program. The result were as follows : 1. The mean on the self-medication scores ranging from 6.0 to 12.0 was 10.93. The mean for the self-evaluation scores of the self-medication ranging from 50.0 to 100.0 was 86.51. 2. There were significant associations between the scores on self-medication and age(F=2.34, p=0.033), and method of treatment(F=4.65, P=0.018). And there were significant associations between the self-evaluation scores of self-medication and age (F=3.79, P=0.000), and presence of TB patients among family(F=4.92, P=0.000). 3. (a) The relationship between the scores on self-medication and perceived barrier in health belief revealed a significant correlation(r=-.2046, p=0.0082). (b) The relationship between the scores on self-medication and other-dependency in LOC revealed a significant correlation(r=0.2322, p=0.0018). (c) The relationship between the self-evaluation score of self-medication and other-dependency in LOC revealed a significant correlation(r=0.1946, p=0.0122). (d) The relationship between the attitude in self-medication of the subjects and the self-evaluation score of self-medication revealed a significant correlation(r=0.2102, p=0.0066). 4. (a) 14.8% of the score of compliance in self-medication of the subjects was explained by five variables : Behavioral Intention, Duration of Treatment, Age, Perceived Sensitivity and Perceived Sensitivity and Perceived Barrier. (b) 8.7% of the score of self-evaluation of self-medication was explained by three variables : Perceived Control, Perceived Sensitivity, and Age. In conclusion : This study provides insights and information which may be valuable for motivation and instruction to improve compliance in self-medication among pulmonary TB patients.
Compliance* ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Intention ; Internal-External Control ; Motivation ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary* ; Surveys and Questionnaires