PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical presentation, surgical outcome of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment(RRD) after laser refractive surgery and the relationship between RRD and laser refractive surgery. METHODS: We examined age distribution, refractive error, time interval of RRD onset after refractive surgery, shape and location of retinal break, extent of RD, refractive change and postoperative complications in fifteen patients who experienced RRD after LASIK(9 eyes), or PRK(6 eyes) from March 1993 to August 2001. RESULTS: 66% of patents were in twenties, 47% of patients developed RD within 1 year after refractive surgery, 80% of patients had horse shoe type retinal tear and refractive changes after RD surgery were within 2 diopters. Patients who had undergone LASIK had shorter time interval in developing RRD, more refractive change, and more complications than those with PRK. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that laser refractive surgery can be one of the cause of RD. LASIK had more association with RD than PRK. Thorough retinal exam will be needed in patients undergoing LASIK.
Age Distribution ; Horses ; Humans ; Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ ; Postoperative Complications ; Refractive Errors ; Refractive Surgical Procedures* ; Retinal Detachment* ; Retinal Perforations ; Retinaldehyde* ; Shoes

PURPOSE: We evaluated whether lipoic acid as antioxidant could inhibit expression of VEGF and STAT3 in experimental diabetic rat retina. METHODS: Diabetes was induced chemically by injection of streptozotocin in 12 rats of 18 Sprague-Dawley rats. After induction of diabetes, lipoic acid was injected into the peritonium in 6 rats. So all rats were divided into 3 groups, normal group (n=6), diabetes mellitus (DM) group (n=6), lipoic acid treated group (n=6). The ocular tissue of the rats were collected on 8 weeks after diabetes induction. Difference of VEGF and STAT3 expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, western blot. The change of VEGF and STAT3 in lipoic acid treated group were evaluated in these experimental model. RESULTS: The VEGF and STAT3 expression was elevated in diabetic rat retina. The active form STAT3, phosphorylated STAT3 was also elevated. The VEGF and STAT3 expression in lipoic acid treated group was lower than DM group. CONCLUSIONS: The lipoic acid could inhibit the VEGF and STAT3 expression in diabetic rat retina.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Immunohistochemistry ; Models, Theoretical ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Retina* ; Streptozocin ; Thioctic Acid* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

The acardiac twin, or twin reversal of arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence is encountered in approximately 1% of monozygotic twins with an incidence of one in 35,000 births. The problem results from vascular anastomoses between the arterial and venous circulation of normal "pump" twin and that of recipient "perfused" acardiac twin. The recipient twin may display severe and lethal anomalies, including acardia and acephalus. The pump twin is structurally normal. Mortality of about 50-75% in cases without treatment is due to heart failure, prematurity or cord entanglement. We report a case of acardiac twin diagnosed by ultrasound prenatally.
Heart Failure ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Parturition ; Perfusion ; Twins, Monozygotic ; Ultrasonography*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Antioxidants* ; Blotting, Western ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice* ; Oenanthe* ; Skin*

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to establish humanized patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) using cord blood (CB) hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Additionally, we attempted to characterize the immune microenvironment of the humanized PDX model to understand the potential implications of altered tumorimmune interactions in the humanized PDX model on the behavior of TNBC cells. Methods: To establish a humanized mouse model, high-purity CD34+ HSCs from CB were transplanted into immunodeficient NOD scid γ mice. Peripheral and intratumoral immune cell compositions of humanized and non-humanized mice were compared. Additionally, RNA sequencing of the tumor tissues was performed to characterize the gene expression features associated with humanization. Results: After transplanting the CD34+ HSCs, CD45+ human immune cells appeared within five weeks. A humanized mouse model showed viable human immune cells in the peripheral blood, lymphoid organs, and in the tumor microenvironment. Humanized TNBC PDX models showed varying rates of tumor growth compared to that of non-humanized mice.RNA sequencing of the tumor tissue showed significant alterations in tumor tissues from the humanized models. tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 11B (TNFRSF11B) is a shared downregulated gene in tumor tissues from humanized models. Silencing of TNFRSF11B in TNBC cell lines significantly reduced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Additionally, TNFRSF11B silenced cells showed decreased tumorigenicity and metastatic capacity in vivo. Conclusion Humanized PDX models successfully recreated tumor-immune interactions in TNBC. TNFRSF11B, a commonly downregulated gene in humanized PDX models, may play a key role in tumor growth and metastasis. Differential tumor growth rates and gene expression patterns highlighted the complexities of the immune response in the tumor microenvironment of humanized PDX models.

The incidence of pregnancy in a rudimentary uterine horn is very rare. We experienced a case of unruptured rudimentary uterine horn pregnancy in the first trimester. The patient was diagnosed by laparoscopy and removed by laparoscopic resection of the pregnant rudimentary uterine horn. We report our case with brief review of literatures.
Animals ; Diagnosis* ; Female ; Horns* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laparoscopy* ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Pregnancy*

A total of 54 non-duplicate methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates from clinical specimens and 3 MRSA isolates from healthy medical staffs were obtained from Kyungpook National University Hospital. They were analyzed for clonal types by multilocus sequence typing, protein A gene (spaA) typing, the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The MRSA isolates were examined for antimicrobial susceptibility. Clinical MRSA isolates were classified into 4 clonal complexes, 4 sequence types (STs), 5 spaA types, 4 PFGE patterns, and 3 SCCmec types with variants. On the basis of ST, ST239 (n=25) and ST5 (n=24) were the most frequently encountered. MRSA isolates belonging to ST239 were genotypically homogenous, while those belonging to ST5 showed variations in spaA and SCCmec types. Of the 3 MRSA isolates from healthy medical staffs, one was genotypically identical to MRSA isolates belonging to ST5 and the other two ST239. All MRSA isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and teicoplain. Only 4% of isolates were resistant to rifampin, while 91% of isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin. The resistance rate of MRSA isolates belonging to ST239 against trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT) was significantly higher than that of the isolates belonging to ST5 (76% vs 0%, p<0.001). In summary, ST239 and ST5 were responsible for most MRSA infections and healthy medical staffs also carried these MRSA strains. The susceptibility of the ST239 clone against SXT, which was commonly used for oral therapy to treat MRSA infection, was significantly different from the ST5 clone.
Ciprofloxacin ; Clone Cells ; Cross Infection ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Medical Staff ; Methicillin Resistance* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Rifampin ; Staphylococcal Protein A ; Vancomycin ; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

Coronary stent fractures have been suggested as a potential new mechanism of restenosis. The mechanical properties of stents were designed not only to prevent vessel recoil, but also to resist the mechanical stress of vessel movement over millions of cardiac cycles. We present a case in which mechanical stress may have contributed to the fracture of a stent implanted in a saphenous vein graft (SVG) to the left coronary artery. The patient was admitted due to chest pain 2 years after receiving a coronary artery bypass graft. A coronary angiography revealed the culprit vessel to be the SVG to the left coronary artery. The graft was stenosed and was stented with a sirolimus-eluting stent. A 6-month follow-up coronary angiography revealed 80% in-stent restenosis with stent fracture. We re-intervened by balloon angioplasty. This is the first report of sirolimus-eluting stent fracture combined with restenosis of SVG in Korea.
Angioplasty, Balloon ; Arteries ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Vessels ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Humans ; Korea ; Saphenous Vein ; Stents ; Stress, Mechanical ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Aged ; *Cardiac Catheterization/instrumentation ; Computed Tomography Angiography ; Coronary Angiography/methods ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Female ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial/diagnostic imaging/*therapy ; Humans ; Septal Occluder Device ; Treatment Outcome

Biobank Impact Factor (BIF), which is a very effective criterion to evaluate the activity of biobanks, can be estimated by the citation information of biobanks from scientific papers. We have developed a program, ManBIF, to investigate the citation information from PDF files in the literature. The program manages a dictionary for expressions to represent biobanks and their resources, mines the citation information by converting PDF files to text files and searching with a dictionary, and produces a statistical report file. It can be used as an important tool by biobanks.
Mining