Low-dose radiotherapy (LDRT) has been explored as a treatment option for various inflammatory diseases; however, its application in the context of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is lacking. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism underlying LDRT-based treatment for RA and standardize it. LDRT reduced the total numbers of immune cells, but increased the apoptotic CD4+ T and B220+ B cells, in the draining lymph nodes of collagen induced arthritis and K/BxN models. In addition, it significantly reduced the severity of various pathological manifestations, including bone destruction, cartilage erosion, and swelling of hind limb ankle. Post-LDRT, the proportion of apoptotic CD4+ T and CD19 + B cells increased significantly in the PBMCs derived from human patients with RA. LDRT showed a similar effect in fibroblast-like synoviocytes as well. In conclusion, we report that LDRT induces apoptosis in immune cells and fibro-blast-like synoviocytes, contributing to attenuation of arthritis.

Low-dose radiotherapy (LDRT) has been explored as a treatment option for various inflammatory diseases; however, its application in the context of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is lacking. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism underlying LDRT-based treatment for RA and standardize it. LDRT reduced the total numbers of immune cells, but increased the apoptotic CD4+ T and B220+ B cells, in the draining lymph nodes of collagen induced arthritis and K/BxN models. In addition, it significantly reduced the severity of various pathological manifestations, including bone destruction, cartilage erosion, and swelling of hind limb ankle. Post-LDRT, the proportion of apoptotic CD4+ T and CD19 + B cells increased significantly in the PBMCs derived from human patients with RA. LDRT showed a similar effect in fibroblast-like synoviocytes as well. In conclusion, we report that LDRT induces apoptosis in immune cells and fibro-blast-like synoviocytes, contributing to attenuation of arthritis.

Low-dose radiotherapy (LDRT) has been explored as a treatment option for various inflammatory diseases; however, its application in the context of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is lacking. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism underlying LDRT-based treatment for RA and standardize it. LDRT reduced the total numbers of immune cells, but increased the apoptotic CD4+ T and B220+ B cells, in the draining lymph nodes of collagen induced arthritis and K/BxN models. In addition, it significantly reduced the severity of various pathological manifestations, including bone destruction, cartilage erosion, and swelling of hind limb ankle. Post-LDRT, the proportion of apoptotic CD4+ T and CD19 + B cells increased significantly in the PBMCs derived from human patients with RA. LDRT showed a similar effect in fibroblast-like synoviocytes as well. In conclusion, we report that LDRT induces apoptosis in immune cells and fibro-blast-like synoviocytes, contributing to attenuation of arthritis.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the anti-oxidative stress and preventive effect of modified Gongjin-dan (WSY-1075) in a detrusor underactivity rat model.

METHODSRats were randomly allocated to three groups: shamoperated (control), bladder outlet obstruction-induced detrusor underactivity (BOO-DU), and BOO-DU with WSY-1075 (WSY) groups. WSY-1075 was orally administrated to rats 200 mg daily for 2 weeks prior to the operation and 4 weeks after the operation. Bladder outlet obstruction was surgically induced in rats by ligation around the urethra avoiding total obstruction. Cystometrography was conducted on rats in each group for examination of bladders.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, bladder outlet obstruction led to a significant increase in oxidative stress with consequent changes to molecular composition, and decrease in maximal detrusor pressure (P<0.05). WSY-1075 treatment significantly suppressed oxidative stress and prevented degenerative and dysfunctional changes in bladder, as compared with BOO-DU group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONWSY-1075 had beneficial effect on prevention of BOO-DU.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It is necessary to establish the most efficient diagnostic and therapeutic method for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), which is appropriate for Korean healthcare system. We aimed to evaluate current state of Korean clinician's diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for BPPV. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 16-item survey was emailed to the members of dizziness department of Otology Research Interest Group in the Korean Otologic Society (n=68). 43 were returned and analyzed. RESULTS: All respondents (100%) used Dix-Hallpike test as a diagnostic tool for vertical canal-BPPV. Supine roll test was used for diagnosing lateral canal BPPV in nearly all the respondents (97.7%). Epley maneuver was chosen as otolith repositioning maneuver (ORM) for posterior canal BPPV in all respondents and barbecue rotation (BBQ) was used for treating lateral canal BPPV with geotropic nystagmus in 95.3% of respondents. Extreme variation was noted for therapeutic approach of lateral canal BPPV with ageotropic nystagmus BBQ, with 4 kinds of ORM and adjunctive measures to liberate otolith from cupula, while BBQ was again the most commonly used ORM (76.7%). CONCLUSION: The development of practical and efficient ORM for lateral canal BPPV with ageotropic nystagmus is necessary.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Delivery of Health Care ; Dizziness ; Electronic Mail ; Korea ; Otolaryngology ; Otolithic Membrane ; Public Opinion ; Vertigo

PURPOSE: The risk factors of pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) are well known. However, there have been no studies of PMC after gastrointestinal operation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors and to establish the guiding principles for PMC after gastrointestinal operation. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 39 PMC patients after gastrointestinal operation from January 2004 to December 2008. A control group of one hundred and seventeen matched to a PMC group by date of operation was chosen in a random fashion. Preoperative, operative, and postoperative factors of PMC were evaluated. RESULTS: The incidence of PMC after gastrointestinal operation was 0.63%. On univariate analysis, among preoperative factors, albumin, PT-INR and neutropenia were significant risk factors for PMC. There was no difference in the operative factors. Among postoperative factors, duration of cephalosporin, aminoglycoside, H2 blocker administration were significant risk factors for PMC after gastrointestinal operation. And transfusion, duration of NPO, length of stay in intensive care unit (ICU) and postoperative intraabddominal abscess, pneumonia were also significant risk factors. On multivariate analysis, the independent risk factors for PMC after gastrointestinal operation were duration of aminoglycoside administration, transfusion volume and length of stay in ICU. When period of study was divided by three months, incidence of PMC at a specific period was high. After limiting of prophylactic antibiotics, incidence of PMC fell to 0.36%. CONCLUSION: To prevent PMC after gastrointestinal operation, we need sustained efforts to establish stricter guidelines about prophylactic antibiotics and transfusion, and to minimize length of stay in ICU.
Abscess ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intensive Care Units ; Length of Stay ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neutropenia ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Helicobacter pylori infection is a recognized cause of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric adenocarcinoma. However, both positive and negative associations with colorectal neoplasia have been reported. The aim of this study was to determine whether H. pylori infection is associated with an increased risk of colonic neoplasia in a Korean population. METHODS: We examined 1,590 subjects (1,297 men and 293 women) who underwent colonoscopy and serologic testing for IgG antibodies against H. pylori at the Health promotion Center in Kangbuk Samsung Hospital and at Samsung Medical Center. We compared the prevalence of colonic neoplasia in the seropositive subjects with that of the seronegative subjects. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of H. pylori in our study population was 56.2%. There were no significant differences of the baseline characteristics between the two groups. There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of colonic neoplasia between the seropositive group and the seronegative group (p=0.090). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that there is no significant association between H. pylori infection and colonic neoplasia.
Adenocarcinoma ; Antibodies ; Colon ; Colonoscopy ; Gastritis ; Health Promotion ; Helicobacter ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Male ; Peptic Ulcer ; Prevalence ; Serologic Tests

PURPOSE: Experimental animal models are useful training methods for liver transplantation, despite of ethical issues. The aims of this study are to examine the technical feasibility of living donor liver transplantation in pigs and to address the ethical problems. METHODS: Eight pigs were used in this experiment. The pig liver was divided via a left hemi-hepatectomy without inflow occlusion. The GORE-TEX(R) Vascular Graft was used as a replacement for the inferior vena cava during the graft. After the bench technique, the remnant right lobe of the pig was removed. During the anhepatic phase, an abdominal aortic clamp in combination with general hypothermia was applied, instead of using a conventional bypass procedure. RESULTS: Anhepatic time was 41.3+/-7.0 min and cold ischemic time was 200.3+/-29.4 min. The 1(st), 4(th), and 8(th) pig died because of declamping shock and arrhythmia on releasing the abdominal aortic clamp. Three pigs had five postoperative complications: pneumonia, gastrointestinal bleeding, IVC thrombosis, portal vein thrombosis, and bile duct stricture. The 6th pig received a hepaticojejunostomy due to stricture of the anastomosis site at 37 days after transplantation. CONCLUSION: Pigs are economically and ethically more convenient compared to primate models. For auto-liver transplantation, no immunotherapy was needed. The pigs lived relatively long, allowing operative faults to be detected and studied. This experimental model will be useful training for living donor liver transplantation.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Bile Ducts ; Cold Ischemia ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Immunotherapy ; Liver ; Liver Transplantation ; Living Donors ; Models, Animal ; Models, Theoretical ; Pneumonia ; Portal Vein ; Primates ; Shock ; Swine ; Thrombosis ; Transplants ; Vena Cava, Inferior

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It has been reported that the risk of gastric polyp is increased in various colonic polyposis syndromes or in series of patients with sporadic colonic polyps. However, there are only a few large case controlled studies of colon cancer incidence in gastric cancer patients who underwent colonoscopy. The aims of this study were to determine the incidence of colorectal neoplasm and to evaluate the necessity of colonoscopic surveillance in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: We performed colonoscopy in 105 patients with gastric cancer who agreed to undergo colonoscopy before or after 6 months from gastric resection between January 2002 and December 2004 in Kangbuk Samsung hospital. As a control group, 269 consecutive, age and sex matched patients without gastric neoplasm on gastroscopy who underwent colonoscopy within 6 months for the evaluation of various gastrointestinal symptoms during the year 2004 were included. Endoscopic reports and pathological results were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: In the patient group, adenomatous polyps were diagnosed in 24/105 patients (22.9%) and colorectal adenocarcinoma in 10/105 patients (9.5%). In the control group, adenomatous polyps were diagnosed in 78/269 patients (29.0%) and colorectal adenocarcinoma in 2/269 patients (0.7%). The incidence of colorectal adenocarcinoma between the patient group and control group showed significant differences (odds ratio 11.04, p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of colorectal adenocarcinoma increases significantly in patients with gastric cancer. We suggest that the patients with gastric cancer might carry a high risk for colorectal cancer whom require surveillance colonoscopy.
Adenocarcinoma/*diagnosis/*secondary ; Adenomatous Polyps/diagnosis ; Colonic Polyps/diagnosis ; *Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/*secondary ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary/*diagnosis ; Stomach Neoplasms/*pathology

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Bamboo joint-like (BJL) appearance is an endoscopic finding characterized by swollen longitudinal folds transversed by erosive fissures or linear furrows on the lesser curvature side of gastric body and cardia. It has been reported to be associated with Crohn's disease (CD). This study was aimed to evaluate the incidence of BJL appearance in Korean patients with CD. METHODS: From January to December in 2005, we performed esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) in patients diagnosed as CD and ulcerative colitis (UC) in our hospital. Non-inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) subjects with upper gastrointestinal symptoms who underwent EGD were consecutively enrolled during the same period. One endoscopist performed all the endoscopic examinations to avoid inter-observer variation. A dye-spraying technique with 0.4% indigocarmine was used to allow the detection of subtle changes during the endoscopic examination. RESULTS: A total of 21 patients with CD (mean age+/-SD, 40+/-15 yr; M/F, 13/8), 28 patients with UC (42+/-15 yr; 21/7), and 685 non-IBD subjects (49+/-14 yr; 354/331) were enrolled. EGD findings in CD patients were gastric erosions (11/21), chronic superficial gastritis (5/21), chronic atrophic gastritis (1/21), duodenal erosions or ulcers (2/21), and normal (2/21). Incidence of BJL appearance was significantly higher in patients with CD (47.6%, 10/21) than others (UC, 3.6%, 1/28; non-IBD, 0.1%, 1/685) (p<0.0001). Among patients with CD, incidence of BJL appearance was not significantly different according to the sex, status of H. pylori infection, Vienna classification for phenotype, medications or EGD findings. CONCLUSIONS: BJL appearance on the gastric body and cardia can be a diagnostic clue to CD.
Adult ; Crohn Disease/diagnosis/*pathology ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stomach/*pathology