Postischemic functional impairment of the kidney is a severe problem following living or cadeveric renal transplantation. It is well established that a substantial component of postischemic injury is caused by oxygen free radicals generated from xanthine oxidase at ischemia/reperfusion (VR) through lipid peroxidation. Glutathione is well known as a radical scavenger of oxygen free radicals. Malonyldialdehyde (MDA) is a stable end product of lipid peroxidation. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether the measurement of levels of xanthine oxidase activity, glutathione, and MDA in renal tissue could be used as indicators of renal function following I/R injury 50 male Sprague-Dawley were divided into 3 groups; control group (N=10), allopurinol-pretreatment group (Group A, N=20) and no-pretreatment group (Group B, N=20) for in-vitro and in-vivo study. Animals in in-vitro study underwent bilateral renal ischemia for 60 min after pretreatment with allopurinol in group A and saline in group B, and left nephrectomy was then performed for study of ischemic injury. After 30 min of right renal reperfusion, right nephrectomy was then performed for VR injury study. Xanthine oxidase activity, glutathione, and MDA were measured in nephrectomized kidney tissues. In-vivo renal function studies were performed in both group A and B with measurement of creatinine clearance (Ccr) at 7th day of experiments after renal ischemia for 60 min. The xanthine oxidase activity decreased significantly in group A, but increased significantly in group B. The type conversion ratio increased significantly in group B. Glutathione levels decreased significantly in group B compared to group A. MDA levels increased significantly in group B compared to group A. Ccr decreased significantly in group B compared to group A. Thus, it is suggested that the measurement of levels of xanthine oxidase activity, glutathione, and MDA in renal tissue following ischemia/reperfusion injury could be used as indicators of renal function.
Allopurinol ; Animals ; Creatinine ; Free Radicals ; Glutathione ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; Nephrectomy ; Oxygen ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion ; Xanthine Oxidase

Objective: The number of patients suffering from dysphagia is increasing in line with societal aging. However, preparing dysphagia diets at home or in welfare facilities is challenging due to the lack of commercially specifically designed products. The thickening agents used to prepare dysphagia meals can be difficult due to changes in viscosity and homogenization. Therefore, this study was performed to prepare dysphagia meals using commercially available foods following the classification system outlined by the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI). Methods: Commercial foods were categorized as main dishes, side dishes, and snacks. Selected foods were ground or minced, and 1-3 g of thickening agent was added. Following the IDDSI framework, fork flowability, spoon tilt, and gravity flow tests were conducted using a syringe, and based on these evaluations, texture-modified foods were classified as general, minced, ground, or liquid foods. Results: Commercial foods used in the experiment could be used in IDDSI Level 2-7 dysphagia diets after adjusting their structures. Food size and viscosities were appropriately controlled, and an usage manual was developed. Conclusion This study successfully demonstrated the easy incorporation of commercial food products into the dysphagia diets for personal care and welfare facilities. By adopting the described approach, dysphagia patients could be provided various meal options with improved service. In addition, this study suggests possibilities for developing and producing diverse products designed specifically for dysphagia patients.

Recently, laser treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is considered as a promising alternative to traditional transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of laser therapy on BPH, we compared the results of transurethral balloon laser thermotherapy (TUBALT, n=13) and Hybrid laser prostatectomy (HLP, n=21) with those of TURP (n=25) in 58 patients with mild and moderate BPH. Following data were evaluated at postoperative 1, 3 and 6 months : AUA symptom score (SS), maximal flow rate (Qmax), subjective symptom improvement (SI), postoperative complications. All 3 groups show significant improvement after treatment in the Qmax values. Among 3 groups, the Qmax value was lower in TUBALT group (12.9+/-3.3 ml/sec) than those in HLP group (15.5+/-5.2 ml/sec) and TURP group (18.7+/-5.3 ml/sec) on postoperative 6 months. The Qmax values were not significantly different between HLP and TURP groups. In the SS values, all 3 groups show significant improvement after treatment and, TUBALT (9.9+/-9.7) and HLP (10.3+/-9.4) group were comparable to TURP group (5.2+/-4.2) on postoperative 6 months. In global assessment of SI, both HLP (87.5%) and TUBALT (75%) group were also comparable to TURP (90%) group on postoperative 3 months. but TUBALT group showed delayed symptom improvement compared to TURP group. Postoperative complications were minimal both in HLP and TUBALT groups, compared to TURP group. These results suggest that both HLP and TUBALT are effective in mild and moderate BPH, Further more, HLP treatment could be considered a promising alternative to TURP.
Humans ; Hyperthermia, Induced* ; Laser Therapy ; Postoperative Complications ; Prostate ; Prostatectomy* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate

In this study, hydroxyapatite (HAp) was coated on titanium using electrochemical deposition (ECD) method at body fluid temperature. The titanium specimens for ECD were prepared by chemically etching treatment using 5M NaOH solution. The electrolyte mixed with 5 mM Ca(NO³)² and 2 mM NH⁴H²PO⁴ which has pH 5 (E2) was adjusted to pH 3 (E1) and pH 6 (E3). The different electric pulses of −10, −15, −30 mA were applied to each specimen. The temperature of electrolytes was kept at 37℃. E1-10, E1-15, E1-30, E2-10, E2-15, E2-30, E3-10, E3-15, and E3-30 groups were prepared for this study. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that E1-10 and E1-15 groups were not coated and the powder-shaped compounds were formed on E3-15 and E3-30 groups. The cracks were observed on the surface of E1-30 and E2-30 groups. The evenly and stable coated layer was deposited on E2-10, E2-15 and E3-10 groups. The layer coated on titanium surface had an HAp crystalline structure. E1-30 and E2-30 groups had low crystallinity, even though they had thick layer. HAp layer on for E2-10 group was well deposited on the surface because it more aligned to c-axis compared with other groups.
Body Fluids ; Crystallins ; Durapatite ; Electrolytes ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Methods ; Titanium

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the interaction of herpes simplex virus type 1 antigen and T cells in Behcet's disease. METHODS: Intracellular interferon-gamma response of T cells was measured before and after stimulation with herpes simplex virus type 1 in 17 patients with Behcet's disease and 20 healthy controls. The proliferation rate and the changes of CD4+/CD8+ T cell subsets were also measured. RESULTS: In the basal status, the proportions of interferon-gamma producing CD4+ or CD8+ T cells were higher in patients with Behcet's disease than healthy controls. The number of interferon-gamma producing CD4+ or CD8+ T cells in patients with Behcet's disease was significantly decreased after stimulation with herpes simplex virus (mean+/-SD, 14.6+/-6.4 % vs 10.0+/-4.7%, p=0.0052 for CD4+ T cells; 29.5+/-14.2% vs 21.2+/-11.8%, p=0.045 for CD8+ T cells), while it did not change in healthy controls (11.5+/-7.4% vs 11.2+/-6.3%, p=0.88 for CD4+ T cells; 19.8+/-15.2 vs 20.7+/-10.8, p=0.84 for CD8+ T cells). There was no difference in the proliferation rate or CD4+/CD8+ subset changes between patients with Behcet's disease and healthy controls. CONCLUSION: The stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with herpes simplex virus type 1 leads to the reduction of interferon-gamma producing T cells in patients with Behcet's disease. These findings suggest that the stimulation with herpes simplex virus type 1 antigen may reverse the interferon-gamma dominant status of the Behcet's disease.
Herpes Simplex* ; Herpesvirus 1, Human* ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; Simplexvirus* ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; T-Lymphocytes

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to develop Web-based multimedia contents for supporting student nurses' clinical practice on critical care, and to evaluate learners' responses. METHODS: Based on the steps of Assessment, Design, Development, Implementation, & Evaluation(ADDIE) model, a total of 13 self-directed learning modules including live lectures and real video clips were developed through faculty collaboration of nine nursing colleges in Gwangju and Chonnam province. The finally developed multimedia contents were published on the Web of the learning management system at a local e-learning center. RESULTS: The Web contents were evaluated after self-learning by 81 junior college nursing students who were encouraged to study it at their own pace during their two-week clinical practice at a medical or surgical intensive care unit of a university hospital and two hospitals. The knowledge (t = -27.66, p < .001) and self-evaluated clinical performance level(t = 7.54, p < .001) were significantly increased after learning of the Web contents and clinical practice, and satisfaction level that measured post-test only was 4.0 out of 5 point. CONCLUSION: The use of Web contents for critical care need to be extended as a complimentary material in a class room lecture or clinical practice of students to increase their self-learning ability and understandings of clinical knowledge and situation.
Computer-Assisted Instruction ; Cooperative Behavior ; Critical Care ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Learning ; Lectures ; Multimedia ; Students, Nursing

Tracheal bronchus is an uncommon anomaly in which an ectopic bronchus originates directly from the supracarinal trachea. It is usually an asymptomatic anatomical variant incidentally found on computed tomography or bronchoscopy. However, it can present with symptoms, such as chronic cough, wheezing, atelectasis, and recurrent pneumonia. We report a case of tracheal bronchus diagnosed in the neonatal period, in which the term baby presented with respiratory distress and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn after birth, but no other congenital anomaly was found on further evaluation.
Bronchi* ; Bronchoscopy ; Cough ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary* ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Parturition ; Persistent Fetal Circulation Syndrome ; Pneumonia ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Respiratory Sounds ; Trachea

Tumor necrosis factor-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (TRAIL) has been reported to specifically kill malignant cells but to be relatively nontoxic to normal cells. One of disadvantages to previous in vivo protocols was the need for large quantities of TRAIL recombinant protein to suppress tumor growth. To evaluate the antitumor activity and therapeutic value of the TRAIL gene, we constructed adenoviral vectors expressing the human TRAIL gene (Ad.hTRAIL) and transferred them into malignant glioma cells in vitro and tumors in vivo, as an alternative to recombinant soluble TRAIL protein. The results show that TRAIL-sensitive glioma cells infected Ad.hTRAIL undergo apoptosis through the production and expression of TRAIL protein. The in vitro transfer elicited apoptosis, as demonstrated by the quantification of viable or apoptotic cells and by the analysis of cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Furthermore, in vivo administration of Ad.hTRAIL at the site of tumor implantation suppressed the outgrowth of human glioma xenografts in SCID mice. These results further define Ad.hTRAIL as an anti-tumor therapeutic and demonstrate its potential use as an alternative approach to treatment for malignant glioma.
Adenoviridae/*genetics ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins/*genetics ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Gene Expression ; Gene Therapy/*methods ; Glioma/pathology/*therapy ; Humans ; Membrane Glycoproteins/*genetics ; Mice ; Mice, SCID ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Transplantation, Heterologous ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/*genetics

PURPOSE: We examined changes in the clinicopathologic characteristics of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in the past 25 years and aimed to obtain indicators for its diagnosis and treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 563 patients with confirmed primary RCC after surgical treatment from 1985 to 2010 at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Patient and tumor characteristics were compared over 3 time periods (period 1: 1985-1994, period 2: 1995-2004, period 3: 2005-2010). RESULTS: Period 1 included 65 patients, period 2 included 183 patients, and period 3 included 315 patients, showing an exponential growth in the number of patients. Frequency was highest in the late 50s age group. The review of clinical symptoms showed that incidental diagnosis increased significantly. The tumor size at diagnosis gradually decreased and the proportion of small tumors less than 4 cm increased remarkably. Concerning tumor spread, organ-confined tumors (T1-2N0M0) increased and distant metastasis decreased. Histologically, the clear cell type made up the greatest proportion, about 90% in each period, but subtypes besides the clear cell type increased over the study period. The rate of nephron-sparing surgery increased, and exophytic masses were the most common. CONCLUSIONS: Our review of the recent 25 year's worth of data on RCC from Seoul St. Mary's Hospital showed that the incidental diagnosis of RCC increased over the study period in accordance with the development of screening tests. Tumor size decreased in accordance with the progress in imaging modalities. In the future, multicenter research will be needed to analyze the characteristics of whole renal cancer in Korea.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Retrospective Studies

The purpose of reconstruction of chest wall defect after open drainage in chronic empyema is the control and prevention of recurrent infection, obliteration of dead space in thoracic cavity, and coverage of open wound. For the obliteration of empyema cavities, latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major or rectus abdominis flaps are commonly used. Among them, latissimus dorsi flap based on thoracodorsal pedicle is most versatile and most reliable. If the latissimus dorsi flap can not be used, the author uses pectoralis major flap or rectus abdominis flap depending on the location and the size of dead space and skin defect. The author reports the results of eight patients who underwent reconstruction of chest wall defect with bronchopleural fistula in empyema using muscle flaps. The author performed 4 latissimus dorsi flaps, 3 pectoralis major flaps, 1 rectus abdominis flap according to various situations. According to the size of dead space and skin defect, the author also performed deepithelized musculocutaneous flap, musculocutaneous flap or muscle flap respectively. During the follow-up period, recurrence of empyema, flap survival, morbidity of donor site and patient's satisfaction were evaluated. There was no recurrence of empyema or wound complication. Also, patients were satisfied with the results of operation. The results demonstrate reliability of various muscle flaps and author's method in selection of reconstruction flap for the chest wall defect after open drainage in empyema.
Drainage* ; Empyema* ; Fistula ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Myocutaneous Flap ; Rectus Abdominis ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Superficial Back Muscles ; Thoracic Cavity ; Thoracic Wall* ; Thorax* ; Tissue Donors ; Wounds and Injuries