Adult albino rabbits were used in this study. The retina was treated with laser photocoagulation around the retinal break. The histopathologic findings were evaluated with light and electron microscopes to determine how quickly chorioretinal adhesion was produced after photocoagulation. Adhesion between the rod and cone layer and the pigment epithelium appeared within 1 hour after photocoagulation, probably due to direct burn effect of the laser. A scar tissue appeared in the chorioretinal lesion 5 days after photocoagulation, derived from the proteinaceous coagulum and accompanying fibrosis.
Adult ; Burns ; Cicatrix ; Epithelium ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Light Coagulation* ; Rabbits ; Retina ; Retinal Perforations

The taxonomy of Acanthamoeba spp., an amphizoic amoeba which causes granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and chronic amoebic keratitis, has been revised many times. The taxonomic validity of some species has yet to be assessed. In this paper, we analyzed the morphological characteristics, nuclear 18s rDNA and mitochondrial 16s rDNA sequences and the Mt DNA RFLP of the type strains of four Acanthamoeba species, which had been previously designated as A. divionensis, A. parasidionensis, A. mauritaniensis, and A. rhysodes. The four isolates revealed characteristic group II morphology. They exhibited 18S rDNA sequence differences of 0.2-1.1% with each other, but more than 2% difference from the other compared reference strains. Four isolates formed a different clade from that of A. castellanii Castellani and the other strains in morphological group II on the phylogenetic tree. In light of these results, A. paradivionensis, A. divionensis, and A. mauritaniensis should be regarded as synonyms for A. rhysodes.
Acanthamoeba/*classification/*genetics ; Animals ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of nocturia in young patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and to find out the risk factors of nocturia in the patients. Methods: We enrolled 415 untreated male OSAS patients (apnea-hypopnea index, AHI ≥5/h on polysomnography) who were under 50 years old (mean age 37.5±8.0 years). Participants completed Korean version of Beck depression inventory II (K-BDI-II), Pittsburgh sleep quality index-Korean (PSQI-K), insomnia severity index (ISI), and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS). Participants were classified into nocturia and non-nocturia group according to the following question “Do you find yourself waking up to urinate more than twice each night?” All information was compared between two groups. Results: 22.7% (94/415) of patients reported to have nocturia. Patients with nocturia had higher score of K-BDI-II, PSQI-K, ISI, and ESS although their age and the proportion of consumption of alcohol or caffeine and metabolic diseases were not different from patients without nocturia. AHI was not significantly higher in nocturia group (38.0±29.2/h) than non-nocturia group (32.8±25.7/h, p=0.118), however, parameters indicating sleep quality were worse in nocturia group, i.e. lesser non-rapid eye movement sleep stage 3 (N3) sleep % and higher arousal index, total apnea index, and 90% oxygen desaturation index (ODI). 90% ODI and N3 sleep % were revealed to be independent factors associated with nocturia. Conclusions Considerable numbers of male OSAS patients who are under 50 years suffer from nocturia and they have worse sleep quality compared to non-nocturia patients. Higher oxygen desaturation and lesser N3 sleep % are highly predictive factors for nocturia rather than AHI in these patients.

BACKGROUND: Since the morning fluoride level of 10 uM is recommended for adults patients being treated for osteoporosis so far, measurement of serum fluoride level is important to detect abnormally high levels or to detect levels below the therapeutic windows. Aims of this study are to determine the normal range of serum ionic fluoride levels in Korean female adults (from 5th to 7th decade), and to evaluate the in vivo fluoride pharmacokinetics of monofluorophosphate in Korean adults. METHODS: Serum level of fluoride was measured from blood samples of 72 female subjects (age 43-69years) using an ion selective electrode. For pharrnacokinetics of monofluorophosphate-calcium (MFP-Ca), 6 subjects (age 27~45 years) were included to be withdrawn the blood hourly for the first S hours and the blood was withdrawn at 24 hours after a single dose of MFP-Ca. RESULTS: Mean level of serum fluoride was 1.64+-0.12uM in 5th, 6th, 7th decades adults, and there was no difference of serum fluoride levels among age groups. Peak serum fluoride level exhibited 5.02+-0.67pM, and returned to basal level on 24 hours after a single dose of MFP-Ca. CONCLUSION: This study shows that mean serutn fluoride of Korean female adults (from 5th to 7th decade) is not different from that of other reports, and a single dose of MFP-Ca does not cause serum fluoride levels above the recommended therapeutic windows of 5-10uM for 24 hours.
Adult* ; Electrodes ; Female ; Fluorides* ; Humans ; Osteoporosis ; Pharmacokinetics ; Reference Values

Hibernoma is a rare benign tumor of a brown fat origin with hypervascularity. Although the magnetic resonance imaging features resemble a liposarcoma, its malignant potential is unknown. A complete local excision with meticulous hemostasis is the treatment of choice. We present a case of hibernoma in the psoas muscle with a review of the relevant literature.
Adipose Tissue, Brown ; Hemostasis ; Lipoma* ; Liposarcoma ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Psoas Muscles*

Although the incidence is very low, acute mechanical obstruction of the right coronary artery may occur as a cause of right ventricular failure during aortic surgery. In a 67-year-old woman with severe aortic regurgitation, acute right ventricular failure was noticed at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass weaning after an aortic valve replacement with a Hancock II 19 mm bioprosthesis. We suspected mechanical obstruction of the right coronary artery and consequent coronary artery bypass graft to the right coronary artery with right internal mammary artery was performed with success in weaning the bypass. On the postoperative 9th day, the right coronary angiogram revealed obstruction at proximal right coronary artery by plaque emboli. We herein report a clinical case in which the acute right ventricular failure occurred due to mechanical obstruction of the right coronary artery was recovered by coronary artery bypass graft to the right coronary artery.
Aged ; Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; Aortic Valve* ; Bioprosthesis ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Vessels* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mammary Arteries ; Transplants ; Weaning

Viral myocarditis is considered an important cause of dilated cardiomyopathy. At preseent, two mechanisms are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of viral myocarditis and subse-quent cardiomyopathy: viral direct toxicity and immune mediated toxicity. Some authors have reported that IL-6 influences the immunologic mechanism and the virus-induced tissue damage in myocarditis. We injected encephalomyocarditis(EMC) virus to induce viral myocarditis in ICR mice. In order to study the lymphocyte subset and IL-6 expression to clarify the immune mechanism and to demonstrate the role of IL-6 in viral induced myocardial damage. The following results were obtained: 1) In virus inoculated mice, inflammation was severest at 10 days, and some serious complications developed, indicating a possible transition to dilated cardiomyopathy. 2) On analysis of the lymphocyte subset, CD4 cells were most prevalent at 5 days and CD8 cells were most prevalent at 10 and 20 days. 3) IL-6 was significantly increased and expression of IL-6 was constant, but its intensity was strongest at 5 days. In conclusion, IL-6, produced by inflammatory cells, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells, might play an important role in myocardial damage in experimentally induced EMC viral myocarditis by its direct cytotoxicity or cytokine mediated activation of cytotoxic cells.
Mice ; Animals

We have cloned a cDNA encoding a cysteine proteinase of the Acanthamoeba healyi OC-3A strain isolated from the brain of a granulomatous amoebic encephalitis patient. A DNA probe for an A. healyi cDNA library screening was amplified by PCR using degenerate oligonucleotide primers designed on the basis of conserved amino acids franking the active sites of cysteine and asparagine residues that are conserved in the eukaryotic cysteine proteinases. Cysteine proteinase gene of A. healyi (AhCP1) was composed of 330 amino acids with signal sequence, a proposed pro-domain and a predicted active site made up of the catalytic residues, Cys(25), His(159), and Asn(175). Deduced amino acid sequence analysis indicated that AhCP1 belongs to ERFNIN subfamily of C1 peptidases. By Northern blot analysis, no direct correlation was observed between AhCP1 mRNA expression and virulence of Acanthamoeba, but the gene was expressed at higher level in amoebae isolated from soil than those from clinical samples. These findings raise the possibility that Ahcp1 protein may play a role in protein metabolism and digestion of phagocytosed bacteria or host tissue debris rather than in invasion of amoebae into host tissue.
Acanthamoeba/*enzymology/genetics/pathogenicity ; Amebiasis/parasitology ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cathepsins/*genetics ; DNA, Protozoan/chemistry/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Encephalitis/parasitology ; Gene Expression ; Genes, Protozoan ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Protozoan Proteins/chemistry/genetics/physiology ; Sequence Alignment ; Virulence

Acute ischemic stroke is often the first manifestation of essential thrombocythemia (ET). We report two cases of acute ischemic stroke in patients with ET who suffered acute thrombus formation in a large cerebral artery with related cortical infarction. We suggest that platelet aggregation and its distal embolization may occur in large intracranial arteries in patients with ET.
Arteries ; Blood Platelets ; Cerebral Arteries ; Humans ; Infarction ; Platelet Aggregation ; Stroke ; Thrombocythemia, Essential ; Thrombosis

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with stage IIB osteosarcoma at a single institution for 20 years and to compare the results according to the chemotherapy protocols. METHODS: From Jan 1988 to Nov 2008, 167 patients with osteosarcoma were treated at our hospital and among them, 117 patients (67 males and 50 females) with stage IIB osteosarcoma were evaluable. Their mean age was 22.6 years (range, 8 months to 71 years). Seventy-eight cases underwent the modified T10 (M-T10) protocol (group 1), 23 cases underwent the T20 protocol (group 2) and 16 cases underwent the T12 protocol (group 3). The DFS and OS were calculated and compared according to the chemotherapy protocols. RESULTS: At a mean follow-up of 78.9 months, 63 patients were continuously disease-free (63/117), 6 patients were alive after having metastatic lesions, 7 patients died of other cause and 41 patients died of their disease. The 5- and 10-year OS rates were 60.2% and 44.8%, respectively and the 5- and 10-year DFS rates were 53.5% and 41.4%, respectively. There was no significant difference of the OS and DFS between the chemotherapy protocols (p = 0.692, p = 0.113). CONCLUSIONS: At present, we achieved success rates close to the internationally accepted DFS and OS. We were able to achieve the higher survival rates using the M-T10 protocol over the 20 years. However, there was no significant difference of results between the chemotherapy protocols. We think the M-T10 protocol will achieve more favorable results in the near future.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Bleomycin/administration & dosage ; Bone Neoplasms/*drug therapy/*mortality/surgery ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cyclophosphamide/administration & dosage ; Dactinomycin/administration & dosage ; Disease-Free Survival ; Doxorubicin/administration & dosage ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Leucovorin/administration & dosage ; Male ; Methotrexate/administration & dosage ; Middle Aged ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Osteosarcoma/*drug therapy/*mortality/surgery ; Survival Rate ; Vincristine/administration & dosage ; Young Adult