The relationship between the intestinal histopathology and number and position of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) was observed chronologically in the small intestine of rats experimentally infected with Metagonimus yokogawai. Fifteen Sprague-Dawley rats were orally infected each with 3,000 metacecariae, and 3 were kept uninfected for controls. Three rats each were sacrificed on the day 5, 10, 15, 24 and 70 post-infection (PI) and samples of the small intestine, 5 cm, 10 cm, 20 cm and 70 cm posterior to the pylorus were taken. The samples were processed routinely and stained with Giemsa. The intestinal histopathology was severe during the day 5-15 PI and characterized by villous atrophy, crypt hyperplasia, and decrease of villus/crypt height ratio. After the day 24 PI, the intestinal lesions showed some tendency of recovery. The number of IEL increased at the early stage of infection, but decreased thereafter to a lower level than that of controls, with progression of the pathological changes. Then, the IEL number began to increase again after the day 24 PI. In control rats, the great majority of the IEL were located at the basal region of the epithelium. During the early stage of infection, however, a considerable proportion of IEL was found to have moved to the intermediate or apical region of the epithelium. From the above results, it is suggested that the change of IEL number and position during the course of M. yokogawai infection should be closely related to the progression and recovery of the intestinal histopathology.
English-Abstract ; Epithelium-pathology ; Rats- ; Rats,-Sprague-Dawley ; Time-Factors ; *Heterophyidae- ; *Intestinal-Diseases,-Parasitic-pathology ; *Intestines-pathology ; *Lymphocytes-pathology ; *Trematode-Infections-pathology

Fetal bilateral renal agenesis is a lethal congenitlal anomaly. An early and prenatal diagnosis is extremely important, because it may offer options for pregnancy termination as early as possible. The criteria for the ultrasonographic diagnosis of bilateral renal agenesis are severe oligohydramnios, nonvisualization of the bladder, and the empty renal fossae. However, severe oligohydramnios makes it difficult to diagnose the disease because of poor sonographic resolution. We present a case of fetal bilateral renal agenesis diagnosed by ultrasonography at 21 weeks gestation.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Oligohydramnios ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal* ; Urinary Bladder

In order to perform large-scale genetic studies of Kawasaki disease (KD) in Korea, the Korean Kawasaki Disease Genetics Consortium (KKDGC) was formed in 2008 with 10 hospitals. Since the establishment of KKDGC, there has been a collection of clinical data from a total of 1198 patients, and approximately 5 mL of blood samples per patient (for genomic deoxyribonucleic acid and plasma isolation), using a standard clinical data collection form and a nation-wide networking system for blood sample pick-up. In the clinical risk factor analysis using the collected clinical data of 478 KD patients, it was found that incomplete KD type, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) non-responsiveness, and long febrile days are major risk factors for coronary artery lesions development, whereas low serum albumin concentration is an independent risk factor for IVIG non-responsiveness. In addition, we identified a KD susceptibility locus at 1p31, a coronary artery aneurysm locus (KCNN2 gene), and the causal variant in the C-reactive protein (CRP) promoter region, as determining the increased CRP levels in KD patients, by means of genome-wide association studies. Currently, this consortium is continually collecting more clinical data and genomic samples to identify the clinical and genetic risk factors via a single nucleotide polymorphism chip and exome sequencing, as well as collaborating with several international KD genetics teams. The consortium-based approach for genetic studies of KD in Korea will be a very effective way to understand the unknown etiology and causal mechanism of KD, which may be affected by multiple genes and environmental factors.
Aneurysm ; C-Reactive Protein ; Coronary Vessels ; Data Collection ; DNA ; Exome ; Genetics* ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Korea* ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Plasma ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Risk Factors ; Serum Albumin

We studied on the proteomic characteristics of Toxoplasma gondii KI-1 tachyzoites which were originally isolated from a Korean patient, and compared with those of the well-known virulent RH strain using 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), mass spectrometry, and quantitative real-time PCR. Two-dimensional separation of the total proteins isolated from KI-1 tachyzoites revealed up to 150 spots, of which 121 were consistent with those of RH tachyzoites. Of the remaining 29 spots, 14 showed greater than 5-fold difference in density between the KI-1 and RH tachyzoites at a pH of 5.0-8.0. Among the 14 spots, 5 from the KI-1 isolate and 7 from the RH strain were identified using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and database searches. The spots from the KI-1 tachyzoites were dense granule proteins (GRA 2, 3, 6, and 7), hypoxanthine-guanine-xanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGRPTase), and uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (UPRTase). The spots from the RH strain were surface antigen 1 (SAG 1), L-lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), actin, chorismate synthase, peroximal catalase, hexokinase, bifunctional dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHTR-TS), and nucleoside-triphosphatases (NTPases). Quantitative real-time PCR supported our mass spectrometric results by showing the elevated expression of the genes encoding GRA 2, 3, and 6 and UPRTase in the KI-1 tachyzoites and those encoding GRA 7, SAG 1, NTPase, and chorismate synthase in the RH tachyzoites. These observations demonstrate that the protein compositions of KI-1 and RH tachyzoites are similar but differential protein expression is involved in virulence.
Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; *Proteomics ; Protozoan Proteins/chemistry/*genetics/metabolism ; Toxoplasma/chemistry/*genetics/*growth & development/metabolism ; Toxoplasmosis/parasitology

The superior orbital fissure syndrome is characterized by external ophthalmoplegia, ptosis, exophthalmos, fixed, dilated pupil, and anesthesia of the upper eyelid and forehead. This syndrome is a complex of impaired function of the cranial nerves that enter the orbit through superior orbital fissure. Three major causal factors are tumors, inflammation and trauma. We present a patient who had signs and symptoms of superior orbital fissure syndrome after traumatic zygomaticomaxillary fractures. After surgical reduction of fractured zygomaticomaxillary bone segment and conservative management, complete functional recovery of the eye was noted.
Anesthesia ; Cranial Nerves ; Exophthalmos ; Eyelids ; Forehead ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Orbit* ; Pupil

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the effect of ropinirole on excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and depression in Parkinson’s disease (PD) with a large population. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study at nine hospitals in Korea between April 24, 2013, and April 22, 2015. We analyzed the demographic and clinical features, other medical history, history of antiparkinsonian medication within 6 months, Hoehn and Yahr stage (HY stage), Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) part II and III, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30). RESULTS: Four-hundred-thirteen patients with PD (mean age: 65.2 ± 9.0 years; men: 227 patients) were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age at examination, UPDRS II, and GDS-30 were independent risk factors for EDS and that sex, UPDRS II, and ESS were independent risk factors for depression. CONCLUSION: Our large group study did not find any significant associations of ropinirole with EDS and depression in Korean PD patients.
Depression* ; Humans ; Korea ; Levodopa* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Observational Study ; Parkinson Disease* ; Risk Factors

In this study, we found that Haplorchis taichui, a heterophyid intestinal fluke, is highly prevalent, with heavy worm loads, among riparian people in Saravane and Champasak province, Lao PDR. Fecal specimens were collected from 1,460 people (717 men and 743 women) in 12 riparian (Mekong river) districts and were examined by the Kato-Katz fecal smear technique. The overall helminth egg positive rate was 78.8% and 66.4% in Saravane and Champasak province, respectively. The positive rate for small trematode eggs (STE), which included H. taichui and other heterophyids, Opisthorchis viverrini, and lecithodendriids, was 69.9% and 46.3% in Saravane and Champasak province, respectively. To obtain adult flukes, 30 STE-positive people were treated with 40 mg/kg praziquantel and then purged. Whole diarrheic stools were collected 4-5 times for each person and searched for fluke specimens using a stereomicroscope. Mixed infections with various species of trematodes (H. taichui, Haplorchis pumilio, O. viverrini, Prosthodendrium molenkampi, Centrocestus formosanus, and Echinochasmus japonicus) and a species of cestode (Taenia saginata) were found. However, the worm load was exceptionally high for H. taichui compared with other trematode species, with an average of 21,565 and 12,079 specimens per infected person in Saravane and Champasak province, respectively, followed by H. pumilio (41.9 and 22.5, respectively) and O. viverrini (9.4 and 1.5, respectively). These results show that diverse species of intestinal and liver flukes are prevalent among riparian people in Saravane and Champasak province, Lao PDR, with H. taichui being the exceptionally dominant species.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Child ; Demography ; Endemic Diseases/*statistics & numerical data ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Humans ; Laos/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parasite Egg Count ; Rivers ; *Trematoda ; Trematode Infections/*parasitology ; Young Adult

Human taeniasis was investigated in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) between 2000 and 2011 as part of the nation's helminthiasis survey. A total of 55,038 inhabitants, including 29,846 school children, were examined using the Kato-Katz and scotch-tape anal swab method, and morphological observation of adult worms. Molecular identification of Taenia tapeworms was performed by multiplex PCR or DNA sequence analysis of the mitochondrial cox1 gene. Taenia eggs were present at a rate of 1.5% (845/55,038) in the subject population. Adult tapeworms were identified as T. solium or T. saginata by analyzing the collectable stool specimens (n=126). Three specimens identified as T. solium were found in Luang Prabang, while the remaining 123 specimens, which were T. saginata, were found in Bokeo, Bolikhamxay, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouane, Luang Namta, Luang Prabang, Oudomxay, Phongsaly, Saysomboune, Saravane, Savannakhet, Xayaboury, Xekong, Xieng Khouang Province, and Vientiane Municipality.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Anal Canal/parasitology ; Animals ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Laos/epidemiology ; Male ; Microscopy ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Taenia saginata/isolation & purification ; Taenia solium/isolation & purification ; Taeniasis/*epidemiology/parasitology

OBJECTIVE: Autonomic symptoms are commonly observed in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and often limit the activities of daily living. The Scale for Outcomes in Parkinson's disease-Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT) was developed to evaluate and quantify autonomic symptoms in PD. The goal of this study was to translate the original SCOPA-AUT, which was written in English, into Korean and to evaluate its reliability and validity for Korean PD patients. METHODS: For the translation, the following processes were performed: forward translation, backward translation, expert review, pretest of the pre-final version and development of the final Korean version of SCOPA-AUT (K-SCOPA-AUT). In total, 127 patients with PD from 31 movement disorder clinics of university-affiliated hospitals in Korea were enrolled in this study. All patients were assessed using the K-SCOPA-AUT and other motor, non-motor, and quality of life scores. Test-retest reliability for the K-SCOPA-AUT was assessed over a time interval of 10−14 days. RESULTS: The internal consistency and reliability of the K-SCOPA-AUT was 0.727 as measured by the mean Cronbach's α-coefficient. The test-retest correlation reliability was 0.859 by the Guttman split-half coefficient. The total K-SCOPA-AUT score showed a positive correlation with other non-motor symptoms [the Korean version of non-motor symptom scale (K-NMSS)], activities of daily living (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part II) and quality of life [the Korean version of Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life 39 (K-PDQ39)]. CONCLUSION: The K-SCOPA-AUT had good reliability and validity for the assessment of autonomic dysfunction in Korean PD patients. Autonomic symptom severities were associated with many other motor and non-motor impairments and influenced quality of life.
Activities of Daily Living ; Humans ; Korea ; Movement Disorders ; Parkinson Disease ; Quality of Life ; Reproducibility of Results