Methyl salicylate is widely used in various topical products, including sports creams, ointments, patches, and oral hygiene products. These products are mainly used for localized treatment of musculoskeletal pain. Given their intended topical application, their ingestion can result in salicylic acid poisoning due to their high concentrations of methyl salicylate. Symptoms of salicylic acid poisoning may include dizziness, vomiting, hallucinations, seizures, and, in severe cases, unconsciousness, respiratory failure, and circulatory disorders. We report a case of a 71-year-old male who ingested Mensolatum Lotion to commit suicide and died.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to purify and characterize Ebola virus glycoprotein (GP)-specific IgG antibodies from hybridoma clones. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For hybridoma production, mice were injected by intramuscular-electroporation with GP DNA vaccines, and boosted with GP vaccines. The spleen cells were used for producing GP-specific hybridoma. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot assay, flow cytometry, and virus-neutralizing assay were used to test the ability of monoclonal IgG antibodies to recognize GP and neutralize Ebola virus. RESULTS: Twelve hybridomas, the cell supernatants of which displayed GP-binding activity by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the presence of both IgG heavy and light chains by Western blot assay, were chosen as a possible IgG producer. Among these, five clones (C36-1, D11-3, D12-1, D34-2, and E140-2) were identified to secrete monoclonal IgG antibodies. When the monoclonal IgG antibodies from the 5 clones were tested for their antigen specificity, they recognized GP in an antigen-specific and IgG dose-dependent manner. They remained reactive to GP at the lowest tested concentrations (1.953–7.8 ng/mL). In particular, IgG antibodies from clones D11-3, D12-1, and E140-2 recognized the native forms of GP expressed on the cell surface. These antibodies were identified as IgG1, IgG2a, or IgG2b kappa types and appeared to recognize the native forms of GP, but not the denatured forms of GP, as determined by Western blot assay. Despite their GP-binding activity, none of the IgG antibodies neutralized Ebola virus infection in vitro, suggesting that these antibodies are unable to neutralize Ebola virus infection. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the purified IgG antibodies from 5 clones (C36-1, D11-3, D12-1, D34-2, and E140-2) possess GP-binding activity but not Ebola virus-neutralizing activity.
Animals ; Antibodies* ; Antibody Formation ; Blotting, Western ; Clone Cells ; Ebolavirus* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Flow Cytometry ; Glycoproteins* ; Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola ; Hybridomas ; Immunoglobulin G* ; In Vitro Techniques ; Mice ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spleen ; Vaccines ; Vaccines, DNA

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to investigate the utility of DNA vaccines encoding Ebola virus glycoprotein (GP) as a vaccine type for the production of GP-specific hybridomas and antibodies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: DNA vaccines were constructed to express Ebola virus GP. Mice were injected with GP DNA vaccines and their splenocytes were used for hybridoma production. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), limiting dilution subcloning, antibody purification methods, and Western blot assays were used to select GP-specific hybridomas and purify monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) from the hybridoma cells. RESULTS: Twelve hybridomas, the cell supernatants of which displayed GP-binding activity, were selected by ELISA. When purified MAbs from 12 hybridomas were tested for their reactivity to GP, 11 MAbs, except for 1 MAb (from the A6-9 hybridoma) displaying an IgG2a type, were identified as IgM isotypes. Those 11 MAbs failed to recognize GP. However, the MAb from A6-9 recognized the mucin-like region of GP and remained reactive to the antigen at the lowest tested concentration (1.95 ng/mL). This result suggests that IgM-secreting hybridomas are predominantly generated by DNA vaccination. However, boosting with GP resulted in greater production of IgG-secreting hybridomas than GP DNA vaccination alone. CONCLUSION: DNA vaccination may preferentially generate IgM-secreting hybridomas, but boosting with the protein antigen can reverse this propensity. Thus, this protein boosting approach may have implications for the production of IgG-specific hybridomas in the context of the DNA vaccination platform. In addition, the purified monoclonal IgG antibodies may be useful as therapeutic antibodies for controlling Ebola virus infection.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Antibody Formation ; Blotting, Western ; Clinical Coding* ; DNA* ; Ebolavirus* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Glycoproteins* ; Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola ; Hybridomas* ; Immunization* ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Mice ; Vaccination ; Vaccines, DNA*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Inflammatory bowel disease is commonly accompanied by colonic dysmotility and causes changes in intestinal smooth muscle contractility. In this study, colonic smooth muscle contractility in a chronic inflammatory condition was investigated using smooth muscle tissues prepared from interleukin-10 knockout (IL-10(-/-)) mice. METHODS: Prepared smooth muscle sections were placed in an organ bath system. Cholinergic and nitrergic neuronal responses were observed using carbachol and electrical field stimulation with L-NG-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME). The expression of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) networks, muscarinic receptors, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was observed via immunofluorescent staining. RESULTS: The spontaneous contractility and expression of ICC networks in the proximal and distal colon was significantly decreased in IL-10(-/-) mice compared to IL-10(+/+) mice. The contractility in response to carbachol was significantly decreased in the proximal colon of IL-10(-/-) mice compared to IL-10(+/+) mice, but no significant difference was found in the distal colon. In addition, the expression of muscarinic receptor type 2 was reduced in the proximal colon of IL-10(-/-) mice. The nictric oxide-mediated relaxation after electrical field stimulation was significantly decreased in the proximal and distal colon of IL-10(-/-) mice. In inflamed colon, the expression of nNOS decreased, whereas the expression of iNOS increased. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that damage to the ICC network and NOS system in the proximal and distal colon, as well as damage to the smooth muscle cholinergic receptor in the proximal colon may play an important role in the dysmotility of the inflamed colon.
Animals ; Baths ; Carbachol ; Colon* ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* ; Interleukin-10* ; Interstitial Cells of Cajal ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout* ; Muscle, Smooth ; Nitrergic Neurons ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Receptors, Muscarinic ; Relaxation

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a major cause of cervical cancer and its precancerous diseases. Cervical cancer is the second deadliest cancer killer among women worldwide. Moreover, HPV is also known to be a causative agent of oral, pharyngeal, anal and genital cancer. Recent application of HPV structural protein (L1)-targeted prophylactic vaccines (Gardasil(R) and Cervarix(R)) is expected to reduce the incidence of HPV infection and cervical cancer, and possibly other HPV-associated cancers. However, the benefit of the prophylactic vaccines for treating HPV-infected patients is unlikely, underscoring the importance of developing therapeutic vaccines against HPV infection. In this regard, numerous types of therapeutic vaccine approaches targeting the HPV regulatory proteins, E6 and E7, have been tested for their efficacy in animals and clinically. In this communication, we review HPV vaccine types, in particular DNA vaccines, their designs and delivery by electroporation and their immunologic and antitumor efficacy in animals and humans, along with the basics of HPV and its pathogenesis.
Animals ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; DNA ; Electroporation ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Proteins ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Vaccines ; Vaccines, DNA

This study examined the effects of custom nutrition education on dietary intakes and clinical parameters in patients diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia. A total of 34 patients visited the anemia clinic of Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital. Among these, only 16 patients were available for follow-ups. A follow-up was conducted by a clinical dietitian 2 months from the first nutrition education session. Patients were all women. For custom nutrition education, we investigated anthropometric data, dietary assessment (24 hr-recall, FFQ), and self-recognized anemic symptoms. Weight did not show a significant difference but hemoglobin, hematocrit (P<0.01), serum iron, and serum ferritin (P<0.05) were significantly increased after the nutrition education. Serum total iron binding capacity was significantly decreased (P<0.01). Self-recognized symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue (P<0.001), shortness of breath, headache (P<0.01), brittle nails, and sore tongue (P<0.05) were significantly improved. Daily intakes of protein (P<0.05), total iron (P<0.01), and animal iron (P<0.001) were significantly increased. A significantly negative correlation was observed between current serum iron and the intake of carbohydrates, fat, or phosphorus (P<0.05). But current serum ferritin showed a significantly positive correlation with the frequency of intake of meat, poultry, and fish. It could be concluded that the custom nutrition education might be effective on quality of diet as well as iron status and it might also improve the clinical parameters in patients diagnosed with the iron deficiency anemia.
Anemia ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Animals ; Carbohydrates ; Diet ; Dizziness ; Dyspnea ; Fatigue ; Female ; Ferritins ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Hematocrit ; Hemoglobins ; Humans ; Iron ; Meat ; Nails ; Phosphorus ; Poultry ; Tongue

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate survival outcome according to the expression status of CD73 in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS: A total of 167 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer were enrolled in the current study. For each patient, a retrospective review of medical records was conducted. Immunohistochemical staining for CD73, CD8, FoxP3, and CD68 was performed using tissue microarray made with paraffin embedded tissue block. RESULTS: Among the enrolled patients, 29.9% of patients (n=50) showed negative expression for CD73, whereas 70.1% of patients (n=117) showed positive expression for CD73. The CD73 positive group showed better prognosis compared to the CD73 negative group (5-year overall survival of CD73 positive group, 73.0%; that of CD73 negative group, 50.1%; p=0.023). CD73 was more frequently expressed in mucinous adenocarcinoma and clear cell carcinoma compared to serous or endometrioid adenocarcinoma. In addition, CD73 overexpressions were more frequently detected in patients with known good prognostic factors, i.e., low stage, well/moderate differentiation, negative peritoneal cytology, no lymphovascular involvement, and no macroscopic residual tumor after debulking surgery. There was significantly more infiltration of regulatory T cells in the CD73 negative group compared to the CD73 positive group. CONCLUSION: Good prognosis in patients with overexpression of CD73 may be due to that overexpression of CD73 was more frequently observed in epithelial ovarian cancer patients with known good prognostic factors. Therefore, this result means that favorable differentiation and stage have more influence on survival outcome than adverse effect of CD73 per se.
5'-Nucleotidase ; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; Carcinoma, Endometrioid ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Paraffin ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate survival outcome according to the expression status of CD73 in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS: A total of 167 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer were enrolled in the current study. For each patient, a retrospective review of medical records was conducted. Immunohistochemical staining for CD73, CD8, FoxP3, and CD68 was performed using tissue microarray made with paraffin embedded tissue block. RESULTS: Among the enrolled patients, 29.9% of patients (n=50) showed negative expression for CD73, whereas 70.1% of patients (n=117) showed positive expression for CD73. The CD73 positive group showed better prognosis compared to the CD73 negative group (5-year overall survival of CD73 positive group, 73.0%; that of CD73 negative group, 50.1%; p=0.023). CD73 was more frequently expressed in mucinous adenocarcinoma and clear cell carcinoma compared to serous or endometrioid adenocarcinoma. In addition, CD73 overexpressions were more frequently detected in patients with known good prognostic factors, i.e., low stage, well/moderate differentiation, negative peritoneal cytology, no lymphovascular involvement, and no macroscopic residual tumor after debulking surgery. There was significantly more infiltration of regulatory T cells in the CD73 negative group compared to the CD73 positive group. CONCLUSION: Good prognosis in patients with overexpression of CD73 may be due to that overexpression of CD73 was more frequently observed in epithelial ovarian cancer patients with known good prognostic factors. Therefore, this result means that favorable differentiation and stage have more influence on survival outcome than adverse effect of CD73 per se.
5'-Nucleotidase ; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; Carcinoma, Endometrioid ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Paraffin ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

Currently, metabolic surgery (Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, LRYGB) has an important role and should be recommended as an intervention in the management of obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A successful outcome of surgery requires medical nutrition therapy. Therefore, we performed a retrospective study on 25 patients with T2DM who underwent LRYGB at Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital from October 2008 to May 2010. The patients were followed up for an average of 6 months after surgery (range: 2~19 months). Diabetes was resolved in 80% of the patients. Percentage of excess weight loss was (%EWL) was 56.2%. After surgery, fasting blood sugar (FBS) and HbA1c were significantly reduced (123 mg/dl, A1c 6.7%, P<0.001) and triglyceride was also significantly reduced to 107.6 mg/dl (P<0.05). As diets of the patients progressed from liquid to soft to regular diet, energy, carbohydrates, and fat intakes increased significantly (P<0.001). But protein intake did not change significantly. Nutrient intake of the patients after the surgery was significantly lower than the recommended diet for the non-surgery group. Patients experienced side-effects related to the diets after surgery, including hair-loss (76%), smelly gas (52%), vomiting (48%), etc. A significantly positive correlation was observed between vomiting and FBS (P<0.001). There was a significant relationship between side effects and the amount of nutrient intakes. Therefore, guide patients to a diet progression with treatment to minimize side effects, especially vomiting. And monitor their dietary life to be healthy and not to regain weight until remission of T2DM.
Blood Glucose ; Carbohydrates ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Diet ; Fasting ; Gastric Bypass ; Humans ; Nutrition Therapy ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; Retrospective Studies ; Vomiting ; Weight Loss

This study examined the effects of postoperative medical nutrition therapy on patients who had undergone bariatric surgery. Eighty seven patients who underwent bariatic-surgery at Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital from January 2007 to April 2009 were evaluated. The bariatric surgery patients included 42 Laparoscopic Roux-en Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) and 45 Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) patients. Weight loss was more significant after LRYGB than after LAGB after 9 months (p<0.05). The LRYGB group was more satisfied with the weight loss (LRYGB 4.4/5.0, LAGB 3.0/5.0 p<0.001). The mean albumin, hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were significantly lower in the LRYGB group than in the LAGB group at the time of discharge (p<0.05~0.001). The GOT/GPT was significantly higher in the LRYGB group at the time of the operation than the LAGB group (p<0.01). The LRYGB group showed significantly lower intakes of total energy, carbohydrates, protein and fat from 1 week after surgery than the LAGB group. Multiple regression showed that the weight change after LRYGB was significantly more associated with the intakes of total energy at 1 week after surgery (p<0.01), SWS (sweets and high-calorie beverages) at 1 and 6 months after surgery (p<0.001), and fat at 3 months after surgery (p<0.01). In addition, LAGB was significantly more associated with the intakes of protein and NLS (non-liquid sweets) at 1 week after surgery (p<0.001, p<0.01), carbohydrate at 1 months after surgery (p<0.01), total energy at 3 months after surgery (p<0.001), HCL (high-calorie liquids) at 6 months after surgery (p<0.05), and fat at 9 months after surgery (p<0.01). These results suggest that continuous-follow-up medical nutrition therapy is needed according to the types of bariatric surgery, particularly during the weight loss phase (the first 1 week to 12 months).
Bariatric Surgery ; Carbohydrates ; Gastric Bypass ; Hematocrit ; Hemoglobins ; Humans ; Nutrition Therapy ; Weight Loss