The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are known to be markers of the systemic inflammatory response. However, the few studies that have been done on the relationship between the NLR and PLR and osteoporosis have yielded inconsistent results. Therefore, we assessed the relationship between the NLR and PLR and bone mineral density (BMD). This study was conducted with postmenopausal patients admitted to an orthopaedic hospital. Data including BMD, NLR, PLR and covariates were obtained from the subjects' medical records. In total, 407 postmenopausal patients were enrolled in this study. Analysis of covariance was performed to identify significant differences in BMD according to NLR and PLR. After adjusting for other covariates, a quartile of NLR was negatively associated with the mean value of lumbar BMD (p=0.040, p for trend=0.005) but not with the mean value of femur neck BMD. However, there were no significant associations among the PLR, the BMD of the lumbar and the femur neck. In conclusion, the quartile of NLR was negatively associated with the mean value of lumbar BMD in Korean postmenopausal patients.
Blood Platelets ; Bone Density ; Female ; Femur Neck ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Medical Records ; Neutrophils ; Osteoporosis

Two new records of Trichocomaceae, namely Aspergillus allahabadii and Penicillium sizovae, were isolated in 2016 during a survey of fungal diversity in different crop fields locations in Gyeongnam, Korea. These species were identified based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis using internal transcribed spacer region and β-tubulin-encoding gene sequence data. A. allahabadii and P. sizovae have not yet been reported in Korea. Thus, this is the first report of these species in Korea, and their descriptions as well as details of their morphological characters are presented.
Aspergillus* ; Classification ; Korea* ; Penicillium* ; Phylogeny ; Soil*

OBJECTIVES: Since pain in cancer patients is an important factor that greatly affects the quality of life and prognosis, many attempts have been actively made to reduce the pain. Despite continuous effort on reducing pain after Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), research has not been done on psychological factors as much as on biological factors affecting pain. The objective of this study is to investigate the psychological factors affecting postoperative pain in gastric tumor patients who underwent gastric ESD. METHODS: 91 gastric tumor patients who visited National Health Service Ilsan Hospital in Korean between May 2015 and June 2016, and received ESD were evaluated. Baseline characteristics including sociodemographic factors, anxiety, depression, and resilience were evaluated before the procedure. Multivariate logistic regression was done to analyze factors affecting postoperative pain. RESULTS: The group with high postoperative pain showed lower alcohol consumption and higher depressive symptom scores than the group with low postoperative pain. Also, the group with high postoperative pain showed lower total resilience score with lower subtotal scores in self-control and positive item. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of the postoperative pain showed that patients with lower score in self-control of resilience [odd ratio (OR), 0.911 ; 95% CI, 0.854–0.971, p=0.004) reported more pain after ESD. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that patients with lower self-control ability of resilience felt more pain after ESD. Among the psychological factors evaluated in this study, resilience of an individual seems to have effect on pain.
Alcohol Drinking ; Anxiety ; Biological Factors ; Depression ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; National Health Programs ; Pain, Postoperative ; Prognosis ; Psychology ; Quality of Life ; Self-Control

BACKGROUND: The dysfunction of the proteasome system has been implicated in neuronal degeneration. Apocynin, a specific inhibitor for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase, has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. However, the effect of apocynin on the neuronal cell death induced by proteasome inhibition has not been studied. METHODS: Using differentiated PC12 cells, in the respect of cell death process the suppressive effect of apocynin on the proteasome inhibition-mediated apoptosis was examined. RESULTS: The proteasome inhibitors MG132 and MG115 induced a decrease in Bid and Bcl-2 protein levels, an increase in Bax and p53 levels, mitochondrial depolarization, efflux of cytochrome c into cytosol and increase in caspases (-8, -9 and -3) activities. Treatment with apocynin attenuated the proteasome inhibitor-induced changes in the apoptosis-related protein levels, formation of reactive oxygen species, glutathione (GSH) depletion and cell death. CONCLUSIONS: Apocynin may attenuate the proteasome inhibitor-mediated apoptosis in differentiated PC12 cells by inhibiting the activation of the mitochondria-mediated pathway and the caspase-8- and Bid-dependent pathways. The preventive effect of apocynin appears to be attributed to inhibition of the production of reactive oxygen species and the depletion of cellular GSH contents.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; Apoptosis* ; Caspases ; Cell Death ; Cytochromes c ; Cytosol ; Glutathione ; NADP ; Neurons ; Oxidoreductases ; PC12 Cells* ; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex* ; Proteasome Inhibitors ; Reactive Oxygen Species

OBJECTIVE: betaig-h3 is a 68kDa extracellular matrix protein which is overexpressed in synovial tissues of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Previous results proved that betaig-h3 fragments are relevant to adhesion and migration of synovial fibroblast and angiogenesis through interaction with alphavbeta 3 integrin. We designed a recombinant betaig-h3 protein consisting of a fas-1 domain and RGD motif and evaluated the therapeutic efficacy in RA. METHODS: Inhibitory effect of adhesion and migration of NIH3T3 cell line was evaluated in 96 well microtiter and transwell plates coated with betaig-h3. Clinical arthritis index was evaluated after treating CIA mice with MFK12. Immunohistochemical staining in synovial tissues were performed. Expression of transcripts and proteins of inflammatory mediators were analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and immunoblotting. RESULTS: Recombinant protein consisted of 4th fas-1 domain truncated for H1 and H2 sequences and RGD peptide (MFK12), had M.W. of 10.4kDa. betaig-h3 mediated adhesion and migration of NIH3T3 cell line were significantly inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. Arthritis severity and incidence were efficiently reduced when CIA mice were treated with MFK12 at 30 mg/kg/day compared with the control. Immunohistochemical staining of joint tissues in MFK12 treated mice exhibited reduced angiogenesis. In treated mice, expression of transcripts regarding inflammatory mediators was markedly suppressed and immunoblotting of ICAM-1 and RANKL from whole extract of hind paws also showed a significant reduction. CONCLUSION: This study shows that MFK12 is effective in treating RA, although further study is warranted to improve the therapeutic efficacy.
Animals ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Experimental ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Cell Line ; Extracellular Matrix ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; Fibroblasts ; Immunoblotting ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Joints ; Mice ; Oligopeptides ; Proteins ; Transforming Growth Factor beta

BACKGROUND/AIMS: An ectopic opening of the common bile duct (CBD) into the duodenal bulb is known to cause biliary tract diseases or peptic ulcer. Yet such a case is extremely rare and the clinical significance of this malformation has not yet been clarified. METHODS: Ten patients with an ectopic opening in the duodenal bulb and who were treated at 4 hospitals in the Chungcheong province area were enrolled. Their clinical and radiographic features and the treatment for their combined biliary diseases were retrospectively analysed. RESULTS: The mean age of the ten patients was 73 years (range: 38~84 years, 8 men, 2 women) Eight of 10 patients had clinical signs and symptoms (RUQ abdominal pain: 5, epigastric pain: 3, fever: 3, Melena: 1). The two patients without symptoms were incidentally found to have an ectopic orifice during the evaluation for bile duct dilatation and a regular health check-up, respectively. Nine had duodenal ulcer scars or bulb deformities. Four had active duodenal ulcers and one of them had bleeding from the active duodenal ulcer, which was treated by endoscopic sclerotheraphy. Six of the 10 patients (60%) had biliary tract diseases (CBD stones: 4, cholangitis without CBD stone: 1, IHD stone: 1). Cholangiography was used for evaluation in 9 patients, and it showed dilatation of the CBD or IHD in 7 (78%), a tapered common bile duct at the distal CBD in 7 (78%) and a hook-shaped distal CBD in 8 (89%). Six patients' biliary tract diseases were treated endoscopically (ERCP: 4, PTCS: 2). Duodenal perforation occurred in 1 (10%), who was successfully managed by medical treatment. CONCLUSIONS: An ectopic opening of the CBD in the duodenal bulb is frequently associated with recurrent duodenal ulcer and biliary tract disease. Combined biliary tract disease can be successfully treated endoscopically.
Bile Ducts ; Biliary Tract Diseases ; Cholangiography ; Cholangitis ; Cicatrix ; Common Bile Duct ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Dilatation ; Duodenal Ulcer ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Male ; Peptic Ulcer ; Retrospective Studies

Calcifying aponeurotic fibroma is a very rare benign soft tissue tumor with predilection for the fingers and palms of children and adolescents. We describe an unusual case of a calcifying aponeurotic fibroma in old age that circumferentially involved the dorsal and palmar side of the third metacarpal head.We performed a wide excision using two incisions, resulting in satisfactory clinical result. A calcifying aponeurotic fibroma must be considered in the differential diagnosis of a calcifying soft tissue lesion occuring in the hand of old age.
Adolescent ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fibroma ; Fingers ; Hand ; Humans

To the best of our knowledge, there have been no documented cases of isolated pigmented villonodular synovitis in the proximal tibiofibular joint in Korea. We have experienced satisfactory outcome by performing excision in a patient who has isolated, localized form, pigmented villonodular synovitis in the proximal tibiofibular joint. We report on this case along with briefly reviewing the related literature.
Humans ; Joints ; Korea ; Synovitis, Pigmented Villonodular

PURPOSE: To assess the usefulness of the Hounsfield number, measured by a non-contrast enhanced pelvic CT, after a uterine artery embolization as an index of the successful outcome of a uterine fibroid embolization (UFE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study subjects included 15 women (age range: 28-49 years, mean age: 36.4 years) diagnosed with symptomatic uterine myomas and seen from March 2003 to August 2005. A non-contrast enhanced pelvic CT scan was performed six hours after a uterine artery embolization. The global and maximal CT numbers were measured for each myoma. In addition, a pelvic MRI was performed to measure the volume of each myoma prior to and 6 months after the UFE. The relationship between fibroid volume reduction and the global CT number were prospectively analysed. RESULTS: The mean global CT number was 91.25 HU in Group I and 40.8 HU in Group II. Further, the mean fibroid volume reduction rate was 73% in Group I and 10% in Group II (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The global CT number measured by a non-contrast enhanced pelvic CT is a useful predictive factor of a successful uterine fibroid embolization.
Embolization, Therapeutic ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyoma ; Myoma ; Prospective Studies ; Radiology, Interventional ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Uterine Artery Embolization ; Uterine Neoplasms

Alveolar soft-part sarcoma(ASPS) is a rare, aggressive malignancy of uncertain histologic origin with a propensity for vascular invasion and distant metastasis. ASPS may mimic benign vascular neoplams of malformation but careful evaluation of the unique imaging features on CT scans, MR images, and angiograms lead to the correct diagnosis. ASPS of the tongue is slow-growing, painless mass, especially ASPS of the base the tongue is difficult to be noticed by patient, dentists or oral and maxillofacial surgeons on oral examintion because of its location and clinical resemblance to a benign lesion. And it leads to delayed or inadequate diagnosis. We report radiologic and clinical features of an ASPS of the basal portion of the tongue in a 17-year-old boy, showing normal appearance, but palpation of the tongue and floor of the mouth reveals the tumor. Among the 23 cases of a primary ASPS of tongue reported, 7 cases occured on the basal region of the tongue, inculding the present one. There has been no recurrence or metastasis as of 3 years postoperatively.
Adolescent ; Dentists ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Mouth ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Palpation ; Recurrence ; Sarcoma, Alveolar Soft Part* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tongue* ; Viperidae