No abstract available.
Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Female ; Humans ; Intestinal Perforation/*diagnosis/etiology/surgery ; Jejunal Diseases/*diagnosis/etiology/surgery ; Jejunal Neoplasms/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Middle Aged ; Tumor Markers, Biological/analysis

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is an unusual disease characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of gastrointestinal tract, peripheral eosinophilia, and gastrointestinal symptoms. There are mucosal, muscular, and subserosal types, of which the subserosal type is the rarest. We experienced a 32-year old male patient with the subserosal type of eosinophilic gastroe-nteritis, who was presented with abdominal distension. The ascitic fluid revealed increased eosinophil count. With oral prednisolone, diarrhea and ascites rapidly disappeared and eosinophils in peripheral blood returned to normal. We report this case with a review of relevant literature.
Adult ; Ascites* ; Ascitic Fluid ; Diarrhea ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Gastroenteritis* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Male ; Prednisolone

OBJECTIVE: Human embryonic stem cell derived from blastocyst randomly differentiates into multiple cell types during embryoid body development. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are members of the transforming growth factor type beta superfamily. We have a question whether BMP2 and/or BMP4 can induce trophoblast specific genes in human ES cells using SNU hES3 cell line. METHODS: Human embryonic stem cell line (SNU hES3) was supplied by Miz Medi Hospital Seoul National University. Cultured hES cells were divided into small clumps and then allow for EB formation in differentiation medium. After EB formation, EBs were transferred onto gelatin coated dishes and given hES conditioned medium alone (control) or supplemented as following treatment for 6 days; rhBMP4 100 ng/mL; rhBMP2 100 ng/mL; BMP4 100 ng/mL +BMP2 100 ng/mL. RT PCR was performed for trophoblast specific genes. During culture, supernatant was collected and measured for estradiol (E2), progesterone, and hCG beta by enzymeimmuno assay (EIA) kit. RESULTS: BMP4 and BMP2 increase chorionic gonadotropin beta (hCG beta), glical cell missing 1 (GMC1), and CD9 as trophoblast specific gene markers confirmed by RT PCR. However, the non classical HLA class I molecule HLAG1, was not expressed in our studies. And we cannot find significant differences of the level of estradiol, hCG nd progesterone in this study. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that BMP 4 and 2 have an additive effect on induction of trophoblast related genes in SNU hES3 cell line. Although we failed to induce the differentiation of human ES cells to trophoblast, this study could provide the possibility for the differentiation of early human trophoblast cells and thus need further studies.
Blastocyst ; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins ; Cell Line* ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Embryoid Bodies ; Embryonic Stem Cells* ; Estradiol ; Gelatin ; Humans* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Progesterone ; Seoul ; Transforming Growth Factors ; Trophoblasts

No abstract available.
Angiotensin II ; Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists ; Angiotensins ; Hyperkalemia ; Receptors, Angiotensin

BACKGROUND: Analysis of reticulated platelets (RPs) is useful for discriminating the causes of thrombocytopenia and monitoring the thrombopoiesis. In the patients with severe thrombocytopenia, we evaluated the thrombopoiesis-discriminating ability of several indices applying forward scatter (FSC) and thiazole orange (TO) fluorescence in addition to the percentage of reticulated platelets (RPs%). METHODS: Forty cases with decreased thrombopoiesis, twenty cases with increased thrombopoiesis and twenty cases with liver cirrhosis were selected. By flow cytometry with two analytic methods, dependent on or independent of the staining of CD41-PE as a platelet marker, the primary parameters including RPs% were measured and the applied parameters were calculated from them. And we compared the diagnostic efficiency of each parameter and analyzed the purity of platelet light scatter gate. RESULTS: The purity of platelet light scatter gate was significantly lower in patients with severe thrombocytopenia than in healthy persons with normal platelet counts (P<10(-6)), so the use of CD41-PE for platelet gating improved the diagnostic efficiency of RPs%. Compared to the primary parameters, the applied parameters originated from RPs%, FSC and TO fluorescence improved diagnostic efficiency significantly (RPs%: 55%, RPs%xs delta MFI: 80%) between decreased and increased thrombopoiesis groups. CONCLUSIONS: In the patients with severe thrombocytopenia, the estimate of the thrombopoiesis by a flow cytometric analysis can be more predictable by using platelet markers and by considering the fluorescence intensity of TO together with the RPs%.
Blood Platelets ; Citrus sinensis ; Flow Cytometry ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Platelet Count ; Thrombocytopenia* ; Thrombopoiesis*

BACKGROUND: In the previous study, we reported a decrease of CD4-CD8- double negative T (DNT) cells with aging. In this study we investigated the precise changes of two subsets of DN T cells, alpha beta TCR DN T cells and gamma delta TCR DN T cells, with aging. METHODS: We analyzed the T cell subsets by 3 color flow cytometry in a healthy young group (age 26.9+/-2.5, N=15), a healthy old group (age 67.7+/-3.4, N=15) and an old group with aging-associated diseases. RESULTS: The percentage of total DN T cells, alpha beta TCR DN T cells and gamma delta TCR DN T cells in total T cells, respectively, was 7.4+/-4.9%, 3.9+/-2.9% and 3.5+/-2.5% in a healthy young group and 3.5+/- 2.2%, 1.8+/-1.6%, 1.6+/-1.5% in a healthy old group. Both subsets decreased with aging significantly both P<0.05). Between a healthy old group and an old group with aging-associated diseases, we could not detect the significant difference of the percentage of either subset. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed our previous report. Furthermore, we observed that both subsets of DN T cells decreased in detail. More studies are needed to clarify the association between these findings and the aging-associated diseases.
Aging* ; Flow Cytometry ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; T-Lymphocytes*

From February 1987 through July 1990, the seventeen cases of inoperabelintracranial arteriovenous malformation (AVM) were treated using 6 MV linear accelerator at the Division of Therapeutic Radiology, Kang Nam St. Mary's Hospital. Of seventeen cases, fourteen were male and three were female. Ages ranged from 10 to 51 years (median age of 26 years). The main symptoms were headache, epilepsy and hemiparesis in decreasing order of frequency. The middle cerebral artery is the most common origin of the feeding vessel (41.2%). Four were treated by conventionally fractionated radiation therapy (CRT), thirteen were treated by stereotactic radiosurgery (RS). Duration of follow-up study, two of four CRT group showed minimal response. Of thirteen cases of RS group, two (15.4%) showed complete response, five (38%) partial response, two (15.4%) minimal response and four (30.7%) no response by the same assessment. There was no statistical significance in terms of follow-up period (p=0.22), size of lesion (p=0.82) and treated dose (p=0.65). Further accumulation of experience s recommended with proper case selection and sufficient follow-up period.
Arteriovenous Malformations ; Epilepsy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Humans ; Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Male ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Paresis ; Particle Accelerators ; Radiation Oncology ; Radiosurgery*

OBJECTIVE: To obtain normal data of quantitative sensory test (QST) in Korean adult. METHOD: The subjects were 85 normal adults aging from 30 to 69 years old, who had no abnormal sensory and neurologic problem. We performed following three QSTs on dominant side and one verbal questionnaire. 1) Semmes-Weinstein monofilament wire system (0.05 G, 0.2 G, 2 G, 4 G, 10 G, 300 G) for touch sensation, 2) Rydel-Seiffer Tuning Fork for vibration sensation, 3) TSA-2001 Thermal sensory analyser for thermal sensation, 4)University of Texas Subjective Peripheral Neuropathy verbal questionnaire. RESULTS: 1) Touch perception score measured with Semmes-Weinstein monofilament wire system, declined with age (p<0.01). 2) Vibration perception score measured with the tuning fork, declined with age in foot (p<0.01). 3) Warm sense and heat pain threshold measured with TSA-2001 thermal sensory analyser increased with age, and cold sense and cold pain threshold declined with age. 4) Weight showed negative correlation with vibration perception score in man's foot. CONCLUSION: Normal data of three sensory test obtained from this study could be used for the early detection of peripheral neuropathy or loss of "protective sensation".
Adult* ; Aged ; Aging ; Foot ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Pain Threshold ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sensation ; Texas ; Touch Perception ; Vibration

We report a recent case in which ciprofloxacin-resistant Shigella flexneri was isolated from a 23-yr-old female patient with a history of travel to India. Prior to her admission to our internal medicine department, she experienced symptoms of high fever and generalized weakness from continuous watery diarrhea that developed midway during the trip. S. flexneri was isolated from the stool culture. Despite initial treatment with ciprofloxacin, the stool cultures continued to show S. flexneri growth. In the susceptibility test for antibiotics of the quinolone family, the isolate showed resistance to ciprofloxacin (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC], 8 microg/mL), norfloxacin (MIC, 32 microg/mL), ofloxacin (MIC, 8 microg/mL), nalidixic acid (MIC, 256 microg/mL), and intermediate resistance to levofloxacin (MIC, 4 microg/mL). In molecular studies for quinolone resistance related genes, plasmid borne-quinolone resistance genes such as qnrA, qnrB, qnrS, aac(6')-Ib-cr, qepA, and oqxAB were not detected. Two mutations were observed in gyrA (248C-->T, 259G-->A) and 1 mutation in parC (239G-->T). The molecular characteristics of the isolated S. flexneri showed that the isolate was more similar to the strains isolated from the dysentery outbreak in India than those isolated from Korea.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial/drug effects ; Dysentery, Bacillary/microbiology ; Feces/microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; India ; Mutation ; Quinolones/*pharmacology ; Shigella flexneri/drug effects/*isolation & purification/metabolism ; Travel ; Young Adult

It is known that neutropenia caused by combination pegylated interferon plus ribavirin therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is well tolerated and carries a negligible risk of infection. Neutropenic enterocolitis is encountered most frequently in patients with hemato-oncologic diseases who are undergoing intensive chemotherapy. However, little information exists regarding this life-threatening event in the setting of HCV therapy. We present here an unusual case of fatal neutropenic enterocolitis in a cirrhotic patient receiving combination therapy for HCV infection. This is the first report of a death from neutropenic enterocolitis associated with treatment for chronic HCV infection. The present case suggests that caution should be exercised when continuing HCV therapy in neutropenic patients with advanced fibrosis, and the decision to maintain such therapy should be balanced against the potential for serious adverse events.
Enterocolitis, Neutropenic ; Fibrosis ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis C ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Interferons ; Neutropenia ; Ribavirin