The tumor microenvironment (TME) is formed by several immune cells. Notably, tumorassociated macrophages (TAMs) are existed in the TME that induce angiogenesis, metastasis, and proliferation of cancer cells. Recently, a point-mutated variant of IL-32θ was discovered in breast cancer tissues, which suppressed migration and proliferation through intracellular pathways. Although the relationship between cancer and IL-32 has been previously studied, the effects of IL-32θ on TAMs remain elusive. Recombinant human IL-32θ (rhIL-32θ) was generated using an Escherichia coli expression system. To induce M0 macrophage polarization, THP-1 cells were stimulated with PMA. After PMA treatment, the cells were cultured with IL-4 and IL-13, or rhIL-32θ. The mRNA level of M1 macrophage markers (IL-1β, TNFα, inducible nitric oxide synthase) were increased by rhIL-32θ in M0 macrophages. On the other hand, the M2 macrophage markers (CCL17, CCL22, TGFβ, CD206) were decreased by rhIL-32θ in M2 macrophages. rhIL-32θ induced nuclear translocation of the NF-κB via regulation of the MAPK (p38) pathway. In conclusion, point-mutated rhIL-32θ induced the polarization to M1-like macrophages through the MAPK (p38) and NF-κB (p65/p50) pathways.

No abstract available.
Cadaver

There have been many radiographic studies on age estimation that evaluate reduction in size of dental pulp cavity with secondary dentin formation. The Paewinsky method reported high accuracy in estimating ages by measuring the width of the pulp cavity in panoramic radiographs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the application of the Paewinsky method to digital periapical radiographs. This study was conducted on 103 cases that reported to the Section of Human Identification of the National Forensic Service. The age was calculated by applying the Paewinsky method that measures the root and pulp canal width at three points in a tooth. The estimation results were compared with those calculated by the Johanson method. When the Paewinsky models were applied to digital periapical radiographs, the errors were significantly greater as compared to the original study. The errors of the maxillary second premolar and mandibular lateral incisor were greater than those of the maxillary central incisor, lateral incisor, mandibular canine, and first premolar. Furthermore, errors of the age estimation models in level C were greater than those in levels A and B. This study could be a reference for the application of the Paewinsky method to digital periapical radiographs.

There have been many radiographic studies on age estimation that evaluate reduction in size of dental pulp cavity with secondary dentin formation. The Paewinsky method reported high accuracy in estimating ages by measuring the width of the pulp cavity in panoramic radiographs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the application of the Paewinsky method to digital periapical radiographs. This study was conducted on 103 cases that reported to the Section of Human Identification of the National Forensic Service. The age was calculated by applying the Paewinsky method that measures the root and pulp canal width at three points in a tooth. The estimation results were compared with those calculated by the Johanson method. When the Paewinsky models were applied to digital periapical radiographs, the errors were significantly greater as compared to the original study. The errors of the maxillary second premolar and mandibular lateral incisor were greater than those of the maxillary central incisor, lateral incisor, mandibular canine, and first premolar. Furthermore, errors of the age estimation models in level C were greater than those in levels A and B. This study could be a reference for the application of the Paewinsky method to digital periapical radiographs.
Age Determination by Teeth ; Bicuspid ; Dental Pulp Cavity ; Dentin, Secondary ; Forensic Anthropology ; Incisor ; Methods ; Radiography, Dental ; Tooth

There are rare reports of vascular complications in patients with cardiac myxoma, including both central and peripheral arterial thrombosis. We report on a patient with cerebral infarctions affecting multiple territories, which may have been related to cardiac myxoma. The patient also exhibited cyanosis of the hand. A diagnosis was made of peripheral artery occlusion with myxomatous emboli. A careful physical examination with suspicion of concomitant peripheral embolism is needed in patients with acute embolic stroke induced by cardiac myxoma.
Arteries ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Cyanosis ; Diagnosis ; Embolism* ; Hand ; Humans ; Myxoma* ; Physical Examination ; Stroke ; Thrombosis

Epidural blood patch (EBP) is one of the treatments for spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH), and its complications have rarely been reported. We report a patient with SIH and developed intracranial hypertension after EBP. The mechanism of rebound intracranial hypertension was uncertain. If the patient presented with a different type of headache or newly developed neurological symptoms after treatment of SIH, rebound intracranial hypertension should be considered and the proper treatment needed quickly.
Blood Patch, Epidural* ; Headache ; Humans ; Intracranial Hypertension* ; Intracranial Hypotension*

PURPOSE: Recently, vitamin D insufficiency has increased and has been correlated to growth and puberty in children. This study was conducted to find the prevalence of subclinical vitamin D insufficiency and its influence on school-aged children in Korea. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 397 children aged 7 to 15 years who had been tested for 25-OH vitamin D3 among the outpatients of the Department of Pediatrics in Eulji General Hospital from March 2007 to February 2011. Data for age, sex, comorbidities, serum 25-OH vitamin D3, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and sunlight exposure time were collected before and after 3 months of vitamin D administration, retrospectively. RESULTS: Vitamin D insufficiency was present in 343 (86%) of the subjects. In the vitamin D insufficient group, chronological age was 8.96+/-1.72 years, mean height (z-score [z]) was 0.51+/-1.26, mean BMI (z) was 0.81+/-2.20, and bone age was 10.26+/-1.75 years. In the vitamin D sufficient group, chronological age was 9.61+/-1.77 years, mean height (z) was-0.66+/-0.98, mean BMI (z) was-0.01+/-1.16, and bone age was 9.44+/-2.12 years. A paired t-test showed that three months after vitamin D administration, the mean 25-OH vitamin D3 level in the insufficient group increased to 24.38 +/-10.03 ng/mL and mean BMI (z) decreased to 0.67+/-1.06. CONCLUSION: In Korean school-aged children, vitamin D insufficiency were relatively higher and may be closely related with higher BMI. Insufficient rise of the level of vitamin D after supplementation suggest the new supplementation guidelines, especially for Korean children.
Adolescent ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Child* ; Cholecalciferol ; Comorbidity ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Korea ; Outpatients ; Pediatrics ; Prevalence ; Puberty ; Retrospective Studies ; Sunlight ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of environmental enrichment on the cognitive and motor development in the experimental hypoxia-ischemic encephalopathy neonatal rat model. METHOD: Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy models were made in neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats at 3 days of age by ligating the unilateral carotid artery followed by inhalation of 8% oxygen and raised in the enriched environment (n=10), treadmill exercise (n=8) and non-stimulation (n=10) from the 3rd to 8th weeks of age. Neurobehavioral and histopathological changes were compared. RESULTS: The neurobehavioral tests of the rats with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy showed prolonged latencies of achievement for cliff avoidance and negative geotaxis (p<0.05). Persisting abnormality into adult life of limb placing improved in exercise and enriched environment groups and spatial learning and memory in a water maze recovered in the rats with enriched environment (p<0.05). The density of dendritic spine increased in the hippocampus with enriched environment (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The present study supports the possibilities of the positive effects after the enriched environment in the developing brain with hypoxic injury.
Achievement ; Adult ; Animals ; Brain ; Carotid Arteries ; Cognition ; Dendritic Spines ; Extremities ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; Infant, Newborn ; Inhalation ; Learning ; Locomotion ; Memory ; Oxygen ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the affected hemisphere on the motor recovery and spasticity in chronic post-stroke hemiplegic patients. METHOD: Thirteen chronic stroke hemiplegic patients were randomized to receive real and sham rTMS. rTMS was carried out 10 times at a frequency of 10 Hz with 10 s stimulation followed by 50 s rest, totalling 1,000 stimulations to the affected primary motor cortex using an intensity of 100% of resting motor threshold of unaffected hemisphere. Median nerve H-reflex, modified Ashworth scale (MAS) at elbow and wrist, and manual function test (MFT) were measured at baseline and after 2 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: High frequency rTMS resulted in increased H-reflex latency and decreased H-reflex amplitude and H/M ratio. Also MAS decreased and MFT score increased after 2 weeks of treatment. CONCLUSION: High frequency rTMS in the affected motor cortex might facilitate motor recovery and reduce spasticity in chronic stroke patients.
Elbow ; H-Reflex ; Humans ; Median Nerve ; Motor Cortex ; Muscle Spasticity ; Salicylamides ; Stroke ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ; Wrist

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the analgesic effect of high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the experimental human muscle pain and its underlying mechanism. METHOD: Twenty healthy Korean volunteers participated in this study. The acute muscle pain was induced by infusion of hypertonic saline (5%) into the left extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL) muscle. During the hypertonic saline injection, 10 Hz rTMS were applied on the hot spot of left ECRL. The changes of visual analogue scale (VAS) of muscle pain and motor evoked potential (MEP) were measured from the start of saline injection to 70 minutes after the start of stimulation. At 90 minutes after the first stimulation, the subjects completed the Korean version of the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ). The sham stimulation was applied with the same method as rTMS experiment. RESULTS: In rTMS, the VAS of muscle pain was significantly decreased from 2.5 minutes and continued until 3 minutes after the last rTMS. While the amplitude of MEP was significantly increased, the latency of MEP was significantly decreased after the start of rTMS and the effect on MEP continued until 5 minutes after the last rTMS. The quality of pain experiment by rTMS and sham stimulation showed no difference in MPQ. CONCLUSION: The present results suggested that 10 Hz rTMS over primary motor cortex decreased the perception of muscle pain and increased the excitability of corticospinal pathway.
Evoked Potentials, Motor ; Humans ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Motor Cortex ; Muscles ; Pain Measurement ; Salicylamides ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation