Type 2 diabetic nephropathy (T2DN) progresses with an increasingly inflammatory milieu, wherein various immune cells are relevant. Herein, we investigated the levels of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and their clinical implication in patients with T2DN. A total of 91 subjects (T2DN, n=80; healthy, n=11) were recruited and their PBMCs were used for flow cytometric analysis of polymorphonuclear (PMN-) and monocytic (M-) MDSCs, in addition to other immune cell subsets. The risk of renal progression was evaluated according to the quartiles of MDSC levels using the Cox model. The proportion of MDSCs in T2DN patients was higher than in healthy individuals (median, 6.7% vs. 2.5%). PMN-MDSCs accounted for 96% of MDSCs, and 78% of PMN-MDSCs expressed Lox-1. The expansion of PMN-MDSCs was not related to the stage of T2DN or other kidney disease parameters such as glomerular filtration rate and proteinuria. The production of ROS in PMN-MDSCs of patients was higher than in neutrophils of patients or in immune cells of healthy individuals, and this production was augmented under hyperglycemic conditions. The 4th quartile group of PMN-MDSCs had a higher risk of renal progression than the 1st quartile group, irrespective of adjusting for multiple clinical and laboratory variables. In conclusion, PMN-MDSCs are expanded in patients with T2DN, and may represent as an immunological biomarker of renal progression.

OBJECTIVE: Korea Institute of Drug Safety and Risk Management works for signal detection and safety information generation by analyzing spontaneous adverse event reports database. As the number of reports and detected signals of aripiprazole by each data mining indices were more than other drugs, aripiprazole was selected as a subject of study. METHODS: 1989-2012 spontaneous reporting database was analyzed and the model drug ingredient was aripiprazole. We estimated proportional reporting ratio, reporting odds ratio, and information component for data mining. Then we assessed the causality through review of local and foreign drug labels and literatures. RESULTS: In reconstructed 1989-2012 spontaneous reporting database, there were 2,062 reports on aripiprazole and 2,565 aripiprazole-adverse events pairs. As a result of data mining analysis and signal prioritization, 78 adverse events were detected, 20 adverse events of them were not included in drug label. After literature review, back pain, epistaxis, xerophthalmia and ejaculation disorder were generated as novel safety information on aripiprazole. CONCLUSION: Those 4 novel safety informations of Aripiprazole, back pain, epistaxis, xerophthalmia and ejaculation disorder had become listed on the local label in April 2013.
Back Pain ; Data Mining ; Ejaculation ; Epistaxis ; Korea ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Risk Management ; Xerophthalmia ; Aripiprazole

OBJECTIVE: We studied the use of smartphone technology in stroke rehabilitation in Korea and gathered opinions on how it would best be utilized it in a clinical setting. METHOD: Physiatrists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and rehabilitation ward nurses were surveyed to examine smartphone propagation among the rehabilitation team, current therapeutic knowledge, the use of smartphone technology, and perceptions regarding the potential therapeutic use of smartphones in rehabilitation. The respondents were also asked to specify the applications considered to be the most appropriate for rehabilitation. We also examined applications available for stroke rehabilitation at Android and Apple stores. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 92% had never using smartphone technology in rehabilitation with their clients. The greatest barrier to use was that "smartphone technology and appropriate applications were not available for rehabilitation settings" (71.4%). Areas identified as most appropriate for smartphone use in therapy included provision of information (82.4%) and cognitive (72.5%) and language training (68.1%). We found only a few applications in android and Apple application stores. Of the respondents, 89% intended to use smartphone applications in rehabilitation in the future. CONCLUSION: Smartphone applications developed for stroke rehabilitation are promising. Further research and the development of new therapeutic applications for use in rehabilitation and across health care are needed.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Korea ; Language Therapy ; Physical Therapists ; Stroke ; Smartphone

OBJECTIVE: We studied the use of smartphone technology in stroke rehabilitation in Korea and gathered opinions on how it would best be utilized it in a clinical setting. METHOD: Physiatrists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and rehabilitation ward nurses were surveyed to examine smartphone propagation among the rehabilitation team, current therapeutic knowledge, the use of smartphone technology, and perceptions regarding the potential therapeutic use of smartphones in rehabilitation. The respondents were also asked to specify the applications considered to be the most appropriate for rehabilitation. We also examined applications available for stroke rehabilitation at Android and Apple stores. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 92% had never using smartphone technology in rehabilitation with their clients. The greatest barrier to use was that "smartphone technology and appropriate applications were not available for rehabilitation settings" (71.4%). Areas identified as most appropriate for smartphone use in therapy included provision of information (82.4%) and cognitive (72.5%) and language training (68.1%). We found only a few applications in android and Apple application stores. Of the respondents, 89% intended to use smartphone applications in rehabilitation in the future. CONCLUSION: Smartphone applications developed for stroke rehabilitation are promising. Further research and the development of new therapeutic applications for use in rehabilitation and across health care are needed.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Korea ; Language Therapy ; Physical Therapists ; Stroke ; Smartphone

Pituitary stalk interruption and ectopic neurohypophysis seen on magnetic resonance Imaging (MRI) are often associated with either isolated growth hormone (GH) deficiency or combined anterior pituitary hormone deficiency, but their pathogenesis is not clear and the clinical data regarding these anatomical defect is limited. We experienced a 23-year-old male with the absence of secondary sexual characteristics and this was accompanied with pituitary stalk dysgenesis and ectopic neurohypophysis. He received growth hormone for a year when he was 12 years old due to his short stature. Sella MRI showed no visible pituitary stalk with minimal high signal change, suggesting ectopic neurohypophysis. The combined pituitary stimulation test revealed blunted responses of growth hormone, follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. For the hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, the patient was given testosterone intramuscularly and he gradually developed secondary sexual characteristics. We concluded that the hypogonadism and growth hormone deficiency in this patient was caused by hypopituitarism due to pituitary stalk dysgenesis and ecopic nuerohypophysis.
Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Hypopituitarism ; Luteinizing Hormone ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Pituitary Gland ; Pituitary Gland, Posterior ; Testosterone ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluated biphasic calcium phosphate applied in surgically created 1-wall periodontal intrabony defects in dogs by histometrical analysis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Critical sized(4 mm x 4 mm), one wall periodontal intrabony defects were surgically produced at the proximal aspect of mandibular premolars in either right and left jaw quadrants in four canines. The control group was treated with debridement alone, and experimental group was treated with debridement and biphasic calcium phosphate application. The healing processes were histologically and histometrically observed after 8 weeks. RESULTS: In biphasic calcium phosphate group, more new bone and cementum formation, less epithelium and connective tissue attachment were observed compared to other groups. But there was no statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Though the statistically significant difference could not be found, it seemed that there was more new bone and cementum formation with applying biphasic calcium phosphate in 1 wall intrabony defects in dogs by preventing junctional epithelium migration.
Animals ; Bicuspid ; Calcium ; Connective Tissue ; Debridement ; Dental Cementum ; Dogs ; Epithelial Attachment ; Epithelium ; Hydroxyapatites ; Jaw

PURPOSE: Various bone graft materials are being used for periodontal tissue regeneration.Th materials are being developed continuously for ideal clinical effects. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the clinical characteristics of each bone graft material through comparing the various bone graft materials statistically and in doing so, proposing a more efficient bone graft material. In this study, the following results were attained through comparing the clinical effects among the bone graft materials, using the statistical method based on the clinical studies published at the department of periodontology of Yonsei hospital. MATERIALS AND METHOD: 6 selected studies of department of Periodontology at Yonsei University Hospital were based on clinical study of bone grafting in intrabony defects. It was compared the clinical parameters among the 6 clinical studies, using the statistical META analysis. RESULT: When comparing the probing depth reduction, there was a relatively great amount of decrease when using the xenograft, Anorganic Bovine Derived Hydroxapatite Bone Matrix/Cell Binding Peptide(ABM/P-15: PepGen P-15(R)) and the autogenous bone and absorbable membrane, d,l-alctide/glycolide copolymer(GC: Biomesh(R)). The allogfrafts showed a relatively low decrease in the probing depth and clinical attachment change. It also showed a slight decrease in the bone probing depth. The allografts showed various results according to different bone graft materials. When comparing the ABM/P-15 and bovine bone powder(BBP(R)), ABM/P-15 showed a relatively high clinical attachment level and the bovine bone powder showed a relatively high clinical attachment level. The probing depth change and gingival recession change showed a lower value than the mean value between the two bone graft materials. The synthetic bone showed a relatively high decrease in clinical attachment level and periodontal probing depth change. There was a relatively larger amount of gingival recession when using Bioactive Glass(BG) but a relatively low bone regeneration effect was seen. CONCLUSION: Good restorative results of the periodontal tissue can be attained by applying the various bone graft materials being used today after identifying the accurate clinical effects.
Allografts ; Alveolar Bone Loss ; Bone Regeneration ; Bone Transplantation ; Gingival Recession ; Heterografts ; Membranes ; Transplants*

Between 1997 May and 2007 May, One hundred and seventeen patients were treated. There were 129 cases of sinus elevation using a lateral window opening procedure and 258 implants placed simultaneously or delayed. The cumulative survival rate of the implants calculated. The implants were evaluated according to surgical site, quality and quantity of bone, graft material, membrane used, the length and diameter of the implant and complications. 1. The 10-year cumulative survival rate of the implants by sinus augmentation using lateral window approach was 96.90%. 2. There was no difference in the survival rate between the implant placed simultaneously with sinus elevation (one stage) and the procedure performed in the delayed procedure (two stage). 3. There was no difference in the survival rate according to the type and amount of graft materials. 4. There was no difference in the survival rate according to the implant site, bone quality and quantity. 5. There was no difference in the survival rate when the CollaTape(R) or Gore-Tex was placed in the window of the lateral wall. 6. There was no difference in the survival rate of the implant length and diameter. 7. The survival rate was as low as 75.00% when there were more than two complications. Implant placement with sinus augmentation using the lateral window approach is a predictable treatment method. Although the vertical height of residual ridge is insufficient and the quality of bone is poor, the normal survival rate of the implants would be expected if an appropriate graft material and membrane is used with greater effort to prevent complications.
Humans ; Maxillary Sinus* ; Membranes ; Polytetrafluoroethylene ; Retrospective Studies* ; Survival Rate ; Transplants

The Cauda Equina syndrome after spine surgery is a relatively uncommon condition, but it is a serious complication that needs emergency treatment. A 35-year-old woman was transferred to our hospital and she presented with decreased perianal sensation and rectal tone after percutaneous endoscopic discectomy. Magnetic resonance image showed that the dura sac was compressed by herniated disc material at L5-S1. After performing emergency open discectomy for the cauda eguina syndrome, the patient's neurologic symptoms were completely resolved at 12 months follow-up. There has been no previous report on Cauda Equina syndrome after percutaneous endoscopic discectomy, and so we report here on one case.
Adult ; Cauda Equina* ; Diskectomy* ; Emergencies ; Emergency Treatment ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Polyradiculopathy* ; Sensation ; Spine

STUDY DESIGN: A case report and literature review. OBJECTIVES: To discuss pyogenic infections of the facet joints and paraspinal intramuscular abscess that developed after a steroid injection into the facet joint of the lower back. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 39-year-old man who received a steroid injection to the facet joint, 3 weeks prior to admission, experienced increasing lower back pain and a high fever. RESULTS: Plain radiographs of the lumbar spine showed osteolytic erosion of the articular process at the L3-4 facet joint. On a CT scan, the destructed facet joint was connected to a paraspinal intramuscular abscess. MR images also showed a paraspinal intramuscular abscess on multiplane views. In the operative field, the paraspinal abscess, which extended from 2nd to 5th lumbar vertebrae, was found on the right side, with the L3-4 facet destructed and directly connected to the abscess. Some chalky material, considered to be steroid crystals, was found at the L3-4 facet joint. Drainage, debridement and irrigation were performed. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from the culture. After surgery, intravenous antibiotics were administered, and the patients' symptoms quickly resolved. CONCLUSIONS: A posterior facet joint injection has its own risks of developing a pyogenic infection of the facet joint. Pyogenic facet joint infections may progress to a paraspinal intramuscular abscess. Surgical drainage is mandatory in cases resistant to antibiotic treatment, with evidence of pus formation on imaging studies.
Abscess* ; Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arthritis* ; Debridement ; Drainage ; Fever ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Spine ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Suppuration ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Zygapophyseal Joint*