BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study was conducted to clarify the sustained virological response (SVR) prediction ability of baseline and treatment-related factors in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. METHODS: This retrospective study collected data at four tertiary referral hospitals between June 2004 and July 2012. Out of 476 patients, 330 treatment-naïve patients with chronic HCV infection were recruited. Pegylated interferon α-2a/-2b plus ribavirin was administered for either 24 or 48 weeks depending on the HCV genotype. The baseline and treatment-related predictive factors of SVR were evaluated by analyzing data measured before treatment (i.e., baseline) and during treatment. RESULTS: SVR rates for genotypes 1 and 2 were 63% (97/154) and 79.5% (140/176), respectively (p = 0.001). Multivariate analysis for baseline factors revealed that young age (p = 0.009), genotype 2 (p = 0.001), HCV RNA level of < 800,000 IU/mL (p < 0.001), and a baseline platelet count of > 150 × 10³/µL (p < 0.001) were significant SVR predictors, regardless of the genotype. In particular, predictive accuracy for achievement of SVR was 87.3% for a baseline platelet count of > 150 × 10³/µL. In multivariate analysis for treatment-related factors, SVR was associated with achievement of a rapid virological response (RVR; p < 0.001), treatment adherence of ≥ 80/80/80 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Young age, genotype 2, low HCV RNA level, RVR, and treatment adherence were significantly associated with SVR. In addition, platelet count was an independent predictive factor for SVR. Therefore, platelet count could be used to develop individualized treatment regimens and to optimize treatment outcomes in patients with chronic HCV infection.

At an intensive care unit, four neonates died consecutively within 80 minutes. Citrobacter freundii was isolated from blood samples of the 4 patients. It was also cultured from the leftover SMOFlipid that had been infused intravenously into the patients. In this in vitro study, we evaluated the bacterial growth kinetics and change in size of fat globules in SMOFlipid contaminated with C. freundii. Following the growth of bacteria, pH of SMOFlipid decreased to < 6, and the number of fat globules larger than 5 µm increased. Pulmonary fat embolism is proposed as a possible cause of the sudden deaths as well as fulminant sepsis.
Bacteria ; Citrobacter freundii* ; Citrobacter* ; Death, Sudden* ; Embolism, Fat ; Fat Emulsions, Intravenous ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; In Vitro Techniques ; Infant, Newborn* ; Infusions, Intravenous* ; Intensive Care Units ; Kinetics ; Sepsis

Mycobacterium longobardum is a slow-growing, nontuberculous mycobacterium that was first characterized from the M. terrae complex in 2012. We report a case of M. longobardum induced chronic osteomyelitis. A 71-yr-old man presented with inflammation in the left elbow and he underwent a surgery under the suspicion of tuberculous osteomyelitis. The pathologic tissue culture grew M. longobardum which was identified by analysis of the 65-kDa heat shock protein and full-length 16S rRNA genes. The patient was cured with the medication of clarithromycin and ethambutol without further complications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a M. longobardum infection worldwide.
Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics ; Chaperonin 60/genetics ; Clarithromycin/therapeutic use ; Elbow/pathology ; Ethambutol/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous/*microbiology ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Osteomyelitis/diagnosis/drug therapy/*microbiology/pathology ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Treatment Outcome

This study assessed the feasibility of F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) in the post-therapy surveillance for patients with endometrial cancer showing no evidence of disease (NED). From April 1997 to June 2007, 127 patients with endometrial cancer showing NED were performed 18F-FDG PET scan. The feasibility of 18F-FDG PET for the early detection of recurrence in patients with endometrial cancer was evaluated retrospectively. Of the 127 patients, 32 patients showed positive lesions on 18F-FDG PET scan. Nineteen (19/127 cases, 15%) of them were confirmed to have a recurrence clinically or histologically. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive value of 18F-FDG PET for detecting recurrences in patients with endometrial cancer were 100%, 88%, 59% and 100%, respectively. In conclusion, 18F-FDG PET may be a useful method for the post-therapy surveillance in patients with endometrial cancer.
Adult ; Aged ; Endometrial Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology/*radionuclide imaging ; Female ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18/*diagnostic use ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/*diagnosis/pathology/*radionuclide imaging ; Positron-Emission Tomography/*methods ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

High-level gentamicin resistance (HLGR) in enterococci has increased since the 1980s, but the clinical significance of the resistance and its impact on outcome have not been established. One hundred and thirty-six patients with bacteremia caused by enterococci with HLGR (HLGR group) were compared with 79 patients with bacteremia caused by enterococci without HLGR (non-HLGR group). Hematologic malignancy, neutropenia, Enterococcus faecium infection, nosocomial infection and monomicrobial bacteremia were more common in the HLGR group than the non-HLGR group, and APACHE II scores were also higher (P<0.05, in each case). Neutropenia, monomicrobial infection, stay in intensive care at culture, and use of 3rd generation cephalosporin, were independent risk factors for acquisition of HLGR enterococcal bacteremia. Fourteen-day and 30-day mortalities were higher in the HLGR group than the non-HLGR group in univariate analysis (37% vs. 15%, P=0.001; 50% vs. 22%, P<0.001). However, HLGR was not an independent risk factor for mortality due to enterococcal bacteremia in multivariate analysis. Therefore, HLGR enterococcal bacteremia is associated with more severe comorbid conditions and higher mortality than non-HLGR enterococcal bacteremia but the HLGR itself does not contribute significantly to mortality.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*pharmacology ; Bacteremia/diagnosis/*etiology/*mortality ; Cephalosporins/pharmacology ; Cross Infection/complications ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Enterococcus/*drug effects/isolation & purification ; Female ; Gentamicins/*pharmacology ; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections/diagnosis/*etiology/*mortality ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neutropenia/complications/mortality ; Odds Ratio ; Risk Factors ; Severity of Illness Index ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic factors of primary peritoneal carcinoma (PPC). METHODS: Clinicopathologic variables were obtained by examining the medical records of patients with PPC who were diagnosed and treated at our institute, between January 1996 and December 2005. To find prognostic factors, the association of clinicopathologic variables with survival was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: All patients had advanced-stage tumors. Residual tumor was smaller than 1 cm in 12 patients and was equal or larger than 1 cm in nine patients. The response rate to adjuvant chemotherapy was 47.6%. The median progression-free survival was eight months (range 1~95) and the median overall survival was 14 months (range 1~99). In univariate analysis, stage, the response to adjuvant chemotherapy, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy were associated with survival. However, in multivariate analysis, no variables were associated with survival. CONCLUSION: In spite of aggressive treatments, patients with PPC had poor prognosis. No prognostic factors were identified in this study.
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Prognosis

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of the use of accelerated hyperfractionated radiotherapy (AHRT) for locally advanced uterine cervix cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between May 2000 and September 2002, 179 patients were identified with FIGO stage IIB, IIIB, and IVA cancers. Of the 179 patients, 45 patients were treated with AHRT (AHRT group) and 134 patients were treated with conventional radiotherapy (CRT group), respectively. Patients undergoing the AHRT regimen received a dose of 30 Gy in 20 fractions (1.5 Gyx2 fractions/day) to the whole pelvis. Subsequently, with a midline block, we administered a parametrial boost with a dose of 20 Gy using 2 Gy fractions. Patients also received two courses of low-dose-rate brachytherapy, up to a total dose of 85~90 Gy to point A. In the CRT group of patients, the total dose to point A was 85~90 Gy. The overall treatment duration was a median of 37 and 66 days for patients that received AHRT and CRT, respectively. Statistical analysis was calculated by use of the Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test, and Chi-squared test. RESULTS: For patients that received cisplatin-based concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the local control rate at 5 years was 100% and 79.2% for the AHRT and CRT group of patients, respectively (p=0.028). The 5-year survival rate for patients with a stage IIB bulky tumor was 82.6% and 62.1% for the AHRT group and CRT group, respectively (p=0.040). There was no statistically significant difference for severe late toxicity between the two groups (p=0.561). CONCLUSION: In this study, we observed that treatment with AHRT with concurrent chemotherapy allows a significant advantage of local control and survival for locally advanced uterine cervix cancers.
Chemoradiotherapy

No abstract available.
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

The incidence of multiple primary malignancy is extremely rare although the prevalence rate is increasing recently. There are several reasons of increment of multiple primary malignancy. First, the advances in the treatment and the diagnostic modality of malignancy have led to increased survival rate. So many of the patients who survived the first cancer could live long enough to develop additional primary cancers. Second, the long term effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy have been proved oncogenic. Third, increasing age, environmental carcinogen, some kinds of viral infection, and genetic predisposition have potentials for multiple carcinogenesis. Most of multiple primary cancer is double primary, however triple primary cancer is rare. We experienced a case of triple primary cancer involving endometrium, colon, and stomach. We report this case with a review of literatures.
Carcinogenesis ; Colon ; Drug Therapy ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Endometrium ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prevalence ; Stomach ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: We wanted to investigate the efficacy and safety of the immunotherapeutic Uro-Vaxom for treating uncomplicated recurrent cystitis in female patients only. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult female patients were enrolled in this multicenter, open-label study if they had acute cystitis at the enrollment visit and positive results on urine culture (> or =10(3)CFU/ml). The patients were treated for 3 months with one capsule daily of Uro-Vaxom after antibiotic therapy, and they were observed for another 3 months. The primary efficacy criteria were the cystitis recurrence rates over 6 months, the distribution of cystitis and the proportion of patients with cystitis. RESULTS: A total of 50 patients were evaluated. During the 6-month trial, the number of cystitis recurrences was significantly reduced in comparison with the 6-month pretrial period (on the average 0.64 as compared to 3.0 recurrences, respectively p<0.001). The incidences of frequency, urgency and dysuria remained low until the end of the trial. Uro-Vaxom was well tolerated: side-effects were mentioned by 8% of the 50 patients, and there was no case leading to treatment withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS: Uro-Vaxom significantly reduced the incidence of cystitis during the 6 months of this study, including the 3 months of treatment. These results demonstrate that Uro-Vaxom is a valuable agent for prophylaxis of recurrent cystitis.
Adult ; Cystitis* ; Dysuria ; Escherichia coli ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Recurrence