Anthrax toxin consists of three separate proteins, protective antigen (PA), edema factor (EF), and lethal factor (LF). PA binds to the receptor on mammalian cells and facilitates translocation of EF or LF into its cytosol. PA is the primary component of anthrax vaccines. In this study we purified PA from culture filtrates of Bacillus anthracis. The purification involved sequential chromatography through hydroxylapatite, DEAE-Sepharose CL-4B, followed by Mono-Q. The purified PA was judged to be homogeneous on SDS-PAGE, and consisted of a single polypeptide chain with a relative molecular weight of 85,000.
Anthrax ; Anthrax Vaccines ; Bacillus anthracis* ; Bacillus* ; Chromatography ; Cytosol ; Durapatite ; Edema ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Molecular Weight

No abstract available.
Catechols ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; Cytochromes ; Fatty Alcohols ; Humans ; Liver ; Microsomes, Liver

Baerobic, spore forming, and rod-shaped bacterium. Anthrax spores are introduced into macrophage by phagocytosis and multiply after germination. The anthrax spores infected in macrophage produce lethal toxin eventually caused cell death. In this study, we analyzed apoptosis and cytokine TNF-alpha and IL-12 secretion after the infection of spores of B. anthracis Sterne in the murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells and in the primary human macrophages. In murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells infected by spore of B. anthracis Sterne, the cells were markedly changed in secretion of TNF-alpha (482~6,213 pg/ml) by lethal toxin, and induced apoptosis. In case of RAW264.7 cells infected by formalin-inactivated spores of B. anthracis, the cells were not able to produce lethal toxin, which released lower level concentration of TNF-alpha (7.7~97.2 pg/ml), and rarely induced apoptosis. When primary human macrophage cells infected with spores of B. anthracis Sterne, they secreted TNF-alpha (5~16 pg/ml), and induced apoptosis about 1% of total cells. We presented that inducing apoptosis by spores of B. anthracis Sterne capable of expressing lethal toxin is related with the secretion of TNF-alpha in murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. These studies revealed that human and murine macrophages has affected differently by anthrax lethal toxin produced by spores of B. anthracis Sterne.
Anthrax ; Apoptosis ; Bacillus anthracis* ; Bacillus* ; Cell Death ; Germination ; Humans ; Interleukin-12* ; Macrophages* ; Phagocytosis ; Spores* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

This study was carried out in order to examine the urinary excretion of electrolytes (Na, K) and their relationship with blood pressure, and to estimate the amount of daily salt intake in a rural community. From January to March in 1987, a mobile screening team visited 40 villages, and carried out health screening of 537 adult volunteers whose age were over 30 years and collected 12-hours overnight urine. To determine the completeness of collection, the urinary creatinine was measured. If the creatinine excretion was beyond the range given to the age group, the sample was excluded from the analysis as an imcomplete collection; 345 samples were remained for analysis. This study revealed the following results. 1. The mean excretion amounts of urinary electrolytes for 12 hours were Na 193.5 mEq, K 20.8 mEq, creatinine 1.0 g. The mean ratio of electrolytes were Na/K 9.84, Na/creatinine 0.44, K/creatinine 0.046. 2. Both the mean excretion amount of K and the mean ratio of K/creatinine were less in hypertensives than in normotensives. K excretion also showed a tendency towards a decrease in inverse proportion to systolic blood pressure when it exceeded 120 mmHg. There was no significant difference between the hypertensives and normotensives in Na excretion. The sodium to potassium ratio increased in proportion to systolic blood pressure. 3. The meand daily salt excretion amount was 22.4 g. Assuming that 90% of the intake was excreted, the estimated amount of daily salt intake was 24.9 g.
Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Creatinine ; Electrolytes ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Mass Screening ; Potassium ; Rural Population ; Sodium ; Volunteers

No abstract available.
Puberty, Precocious* ; Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumor*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate physical and ultrasonographic (US) imaging findings in pain-free shoulders of high school baseball players. METHOD: Physical examination including range of motion (ROM) and several pain provocative tests and US examination on both shoulders in forty-one high school baseball players were performed. The findings of these examinations were classified according to the dominance of shoulders and position of the players and described. RESULTS: Neer, Jobe, Hawkins test, and acromioclavicular tenderness were positive in 33.3%, 4.8%, 28.6%, and 38.3% respectively. Dominant shoulders had larger ROM of external rotation and internal rotation than non-dominant shoulders (p <0.05). Dominant shoulders of pitchers group had larger ROM of external rotation and smaller ROM of internal rotation than those of non-pitchers group (p <0.05). Dominant supraspinatus tendons of pitchers group were thicker than those of non-pitchers group (p <0.05). CONCLUSION: About one third of pain-free shoulders of baseball players showed positive in pain provocative tests. There were several differences in shoulder ROM and ultrasonographic thickness of supraspinatus tendon according to the dominance of shoulders and position of players.
Baseball* ; Humans ; Physical Examination* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Shoulder* ; Tendons ; Ultrasonography*

Bacillus (B.) anthracis is the pathogen that causes fatal anthrax. Strain-specific detection of this bacterium using molecular approaches has enhanced our knowledge of microbial population genetics. In the present study, we employed molecular approaches including multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) and canonical single-nucleotide polymorphism (canSNP) analysis to perform molecular typing of B. anthracis strains isolated in Korea. According to the MLVA, 17 B. anthracis isolates were classified into A3a, A3b, and B1 clusters. The canSNP analyses subdivided the B. anthracis isolates into two of the three previously recognized major lineages (A and B). B. anthracis isolates from Korea were found to belong to four canSNP sub-groups (B.Br.001/2, A.Br.005/006, A.Br.001/002, and A.Br.Ames). The A.Br.001/002 and A.Br.Ames sub-lineages are closely related genotypes frequently found in central Asia and most isolates were. On the other hand, B. anthracis CH isolates were analyzed that belonged to the B.Br.001/002 sub-group which found in southern Africa, Europe and California (USA). B.Br.001/002 genotype is new lineage of B. anthracis in Korea that was not found before. This discovery will be helpful for the creation of marker systems and might be the result of human activity through the development of agriculture and increased international trade in Korea.
Africa, Southern ; Agriculture ; Anthrax ; Asia ; Bacillus ; Bacillus anthracis ; California ; Europe ; Genetics, Population ; Genotype ; Hand ; Human Activities ; Molecular Typing ; Tandem Repeat Sequences

PURPOSE: To determine useful diagnostic criteria of cubital tunnel syndrome (CTS), using ultrasonographic ulnar nerve cross-sectional areas (UNCSA) measurements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CTS group included 28 patients confirmed with nerve conduction study and the control group included 17 healthy adults. Ulnar nerve cross-sectional areas (UNCSA) were measured at the distal 1/3 upper arm level and in the cubital tunnel (CTN). US findings of CTS were ulnar nerve dislocation (n = 2), ulnar nerve subluxation (n = 5), ganglion (n = 1), sever elbow joint osteoarthritis (n = 1) and elbow joint valgus deformity after fracture (n = 1). UNCSA, the ratio of UNCSA in CTN to distal 1/3 upper arm level (CH ratio), and the difference of UNCSA between CTN and distal 1/3 upper arm level (CH difference) were evaluated to obtain the optimal diagnostic cutoff value of CTS, using ROC curve. RESULTS: The mean UNCSA in CTN was 0.168 cm2 in the CTS and 0.067 cm2 in the control. The CTS could be diagnosed when UNCSA, the CH ratio and the CH difference are larger than 0.096 cm2, 1.371 and 0.036 cm2 respectively. The ROC curve area was largest and the sensitivity, specificity was respectively 82.4%, 95.8%, when the CH difference was used as cutoff value. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound is useful for the detection of CTS pathogenic lesions in CTN. The highest diagnostic accuracy was acquired when the CH difference is larger than 0.036 cm2.
Adult ; Arm ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Cubital Tunnel Syndrome ; Dislocations ; Diterpenes ; Elbow Joint ; Ganglion Cysts ; Humans ; Neural Conduction ; Osteoarthritis ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ulnar Nerve

PURPOSE: Selective inhibition of multiple molecular targets may improve the antitumor activity of radiation. Two specific inhibitors of selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were combined with radiation on the HeLa cell line. To investigate cooperative mechanism with selective COX-2 inhibitor and EGFR blocker, in vitro experiments were done. MATERIASL AND METHODS: Antitumor effect was obtained by growth inhibition and apoptosis analysis by annexin V-Flous method. Radiation modulation effects were determined by the clonogenic cell survival assay. Surviving fractions at 2 Gy (SF2) and dose enhancement ratio at a surviving fraction of 0.25 were evaluated. To investigate the mechanism of the modulation of radiosensitivity, the cell cycle analyses were done by flow cytometry. The bcl-2 and bax expressions were analyzed by western blot. RESULTS: A cooperative effect were observed on the apoptosis of the HeLa cell line when combination of the two drugs, AG 1478 and NS 398 with radiation at the lowest doses, apoptosis of 22.70% compare with combination of the one drug with radiation, apoptosis of 8.49 %. In cell cycle analysis, accumulation of cell on G0/G1 phase and decrement of S phase fraction was observed from 24 hours to 72 hours after treatment with radiation, AG 1478 and NS 398. The combination of NS 398 and AG 1478 enhanced radiosensitivity in a concentration-dependent manner in HeLa cells with dose enhancement ratios of 3.00 and SF2 of 0.12 but the combination of one drug with radiation was not enhanced radiosensitivity with dose enhancement ratios of 1.12 and SF2 of 0.68 (p=0.005). The expression levels of bcl-2 and bax were reduced when combined with AG 1478 and NS 398. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the selective COX-2 inhibitor and EGFR blocker combined with radiation have potential additive or cooperative effects on radiation treatment and may act through various mechanisms including direct inhibition of tumor cell proliferation, suppression of tumor cell cycle progression and inhibition of anti-apoptotic proteins.
Apoptosis ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Survival ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Flow Cytometry ; HeLa Cells* ; Humans ; Radiation Tolerance* ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor* ; S Phase

Skull base-invading, invasive aspergillosis is rare, but it is a potentially life-threatening disease. Nevertheless, the standard method and the optimal duration of treatment are not known yet. A 52-year-old female diabetic patient complained of ophthalmalgia and decreased visual acuity. MRI and CT scan revealed an enhancing mass in the right orbital fissure and showed an infiltrating process in the skull base around the right orbit apex and paranasal sinuses. The histological investigation revealed invasive aspergillosis of paranasal sinuses and the skull base. Clinical improvement occurred after marsupialization and post-operative systemic antifungal therapy with voriconazole for 14 weeks. We suggest that voriconazole treatment could show effective results for invasive aspergillosis of skull base and paranasal sinuses.
Aspergillosis ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Orbit ; Paranasal Sinuses ; Pyrimidines ; Skull ; Skull Base ; Triazoles ; Visual Acuity