No abstract available.
Cheek ; Melanosis ; Neck

PURPOSE: Claudin-4 has been reported to function as a paracellular sodium barrier and is one of the 3 major claudins expressed in lung alveolar epithelial cells. However, the possible role of claudin-4 in bronchial asthma has not yet been fully studied. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the role of claudin-4 in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. METHODS: We determined claudin-4 levels in blood from asthmatic patients. Moreover, using mice sensitized and challenged with OVA, as well as sensitized and challenged with saline, we investigated whether claudin-4 is involved in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. Der p1 induced the inflammatory cytokines in NHBE cells. RESULTS: We found that claudin-4 in blood from asthmatic patients was increased compared with that from healthy control subjects. Plasma claudin-4 levels were significantly higher in exacerbated patients than in control patients with bronchial asthma. The plasma claudin-4 level was correlated with eosinophils, total IgE, FEV1% pred, and FEV1/FVC. Moreover, lung tissues from the OVA-OVA mice showed significant increases in transcripts and proteins of claudin-4 as well as in TJ breaks and the densities of claudin-4 staining. When claudin-4 was knocked down by transfecting its siRNA, inflammatory cytokine expressions, which were induced by Der p1 treatment, were significantly increased. CONCLUSIONS: These findings thus raise the possibility that regulation of lung epithelial barrier proteins may constitute a therapeutic approach for asthma.
Animals ; Asthma ; Claudin-4 ; Claudins ; Cytokines ; Eosinophils ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Inflammation ; Lung ; Mice ; Ovum ; Plasma ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Sodium

The rate of malignant transformation in porokeratosis (PK) lesions is approximately 7.5%, and linear PK demonstrates the highest rate of malignancy. An 83-year-old woman presented with a rapidly enlarging mass on her left arm. Variably sized erythematous scaly patches were scattered across the left half of her trunk and arm. Additionally, generalized variably sized brownish annular patches with a hyperkeratotic outer ring were observed on her face, trunk and bilateral arms. A skin biopsy was performed on 3 lesions-a yellowish to erythematous appearing mass, an erythematous scaly patch, and a brownish annular patch. Histopathological evaluation of these 3 lesions revealed squamous cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, and PK, respectively. The final diagnosis was disseminated superficial PK with linear PK on the left side of the body, and actinic keratosis and squamous cell carcinoma confined to the linear PK lesions. We report a case which represents the progressive and stepwise malignant transformation of PK into squamous cell carcinoma.
Aged, 80 and over ; Arm ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Keratosis, Actinic ; Porokeratosis* ; Skin

No abstract available.
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Sarcoidosis* ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune

The General Rules for the Study of Primary Liver Cancer was published in June 2001 as the first edition. Since then, the 5th edition of the General Rules for the Study of Primary Liver Cancer was published by the 17th Committee of the Korean Liver Cancer Association based on the most recent data. The 5th edition of the General Rules for the Study of Primary Liver Cancer ranged over numerous topics such as anatomy, medical assessment of the patients, staging of hepatocellular carcinoma, description of the image findings, summary of hepatic resection, description of the surgical specimens, liver transplantation, reporting the pathological findings, pathological examinations of liver specimen, non-surgical treatment, radiotherapy, and assessment of tumor response after non-surgical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. The 5th General Rules for the Study of Primary Liver Cancer will not only become the basis of academic development for liver cancer studies in Korea, but also serve as the primary form of national liver cancer data accumulation based on standardized rules.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Neoplasms* ; Liver Transplantation ; Liver* ; Radiotherapy

No abstract available.
Axilla ; Poroma*

BACKGROUND: The incidence and etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) vary widely according to race and geographic regions. The insertional mutagenesis of adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) has recently been considered a new viral etiology of HCC. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and clinical characteristics of AAV2 in Korean patients with HCC. METHODS: A total of 289 unrelated Korean patients with HCC, including 159 Hepatitis-B-related cases, 16 Hepatitis-C-related cases, and 114 viral serology-negative cases, who underwent surgery at the Samsung Medical Center in Korea from 2009 to 2014 were enrolled in this study. The presence of AAV2 in fresh-frozen tumor tissues was investigated by DNA PCR and Sanger sequencing. The clinical and pathological characteristics of AAV2-associated HCC in these patients were compared with previous findings in French patients. RESULTS: The AAV2 detection rate in Korean patients (2/289) was very low compared with that in French patients (11/193). Similar to the French patients, the Korean patients with AAV2-related HCC showed no signs of liver cirrhosis. The Korean patients were younger than the French patients with the same AAV2-associated HCC; the ages at diagnosis of the two Korean patients were 47 and 39 yr, while the median age of the 11 French patients was 55 yr (range 43-90 yr). CONCLUSIONS: AAV2-associated HCC was very rare in Korean patients with HCC. Despite a limited number of cases, this study is the first to report the clinical characteristics of Korean patients with AAV2-associated HCC. These findings suggest epidemiologic differences in viral hepatocarcinogenesis between Korean and European patients.
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Capsid Proteins/genetics ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/etiology/*pathology/virology ; DNA, Viral/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics ; Dependovirus/*genetics/isolation & purification/pathogenicity ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inverted Repeat Sequences/genetics ; Liver Neoplasms/etiology/*pathology/virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parvoviridae Infections/complications/epidemiology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Republic of Korea ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Viral Proteins/genetics

Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver disease and lots of people in Korea are suffered. There are many efforts to find candidates to suppress liver fibrogenesis and several chemical-induced model or bile duct ligation model have been used to research and develop hepatic fibrogenic suppressor. From the previous study about functional effects of turnip which cultivated in Kangha Island, we got the feasibility which turnip might be able to inhibit heptatic fibrogenesis. TAA is a representative hepatic fibrosis inducer, repeated 7-weeks i.p. injection of it results in hepatic fibrosis. We compared the level of hepatic fibrosis in TAA-turnip group, TAA group, and vehicle control group. Nodules-formed by TAA were observed; they were rarely shown in vehicle control group, observed in most area in TAA group, but only shown in periportal regions in TAA-turnip group. These results were confirmed through Masson's trichrom stain; fibrous structures increased in TAA group (fibrosis score: 4) but significantly decreased in TAA-turnip group (fibrosis score: 2-3). In conclusion, we got the result that turnip water extract has a potency to protect TAA-induced hepatic fibrogenesis but it is necessary further study to find its mechanism.
Bile Ducts ; Brassica napus ; Fibrosis ; Korea ; Ligation ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases ; Water

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common significant arrhythmia in the general population, and it is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The incidence of and the risk factors for new-onset AF have not been well evaluated in Koreans. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 16,568 adults (median age 49 years, 10,685 males and 5,883 females) who had repeatedly received screening tests for general health at the Health Promotion Center, Samsung Medical Center in Korea between March, 2001 and June, 2006 (mean follow up duration: 44 months). RESULTS: Sixty one cases had new-onset AF noted on the electrocardiogram (ECG). On the univariate analysis, age, male gender, a history of coronary artery disease and taking hypertension medication, the waist circumference, body mass index, fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c, fibrinogen, and left atrium enlargement seen on ECG at baseline were significantly associated with new-onset AF. After multivariable adjustment, the independent risk factors for predicting new-onset AF were male gender [odds ratio (OR): 3.356, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.168-9.643, p=0.025] and a history of coronary artery disease (OR: 4.657, 95% CI: 1.703-12.737, p=0.003). CONCLUSION: The risk factors for predicting new-onset AF in persons who received general health screening tests were male gender and a history of coronary artery disease.
Adult ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atrial Fibrillation* ; Body Mass Index ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Electrocardiography ; Fasting ; Fibrinogen ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glucose ; Health Promotion ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Mass Screening* ; Mortality ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Waist Circumference

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Many patients with positive anti-HBc, but negative HBsAg, are known to harbor occult HBV infection, which may transmit the virus through the graft in liver transplantation. We examined the change of HBV DNA within the liver allograft tissue of the donor with positive anti-HBc, but negative HBsAg, before and after the transplantation and assessed its significance. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with available posttransplant biopsies that received anti-HBc positive liver allografts between April 2000 and November 2003 were enrolled in the study. Intraoperative wedge biopsy of donor liver and needle biopsy of the recipient around the 12th postoperative day were used. HBV DNA within the liver tissue was identified by polymerase chain reaction technique using paraffin-embedded liver tissue. RESULTS: Among 13 patients that showed positive amplification before transplantation, 10 turned negative and 3 remained positive after transplantation. One patient, who was negative, became positive after transplantation. Three patients had recurrent HBV infection, but none had positive PCR before or after transplantation and recurrence was not associated with PCR results. Donors with low anti-HBs titer were more likely to be PCR positive compared to donors with high anti-HBs serology (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Under adequate prophylactic measures, the presence of HBV DNA within the liver tissue does not affect recurrence and most allografts harboring HBV DNA before transplantation will eventually show viral clearance. However, many anti-HBc positive allografts are infected by HBV at subclinical level so vigilant surveillance is essential.
Middle Aged ; Male ; *Living Donors ; *Liver Transplantation ; Liver/virology ; Humans ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/diagnosis/immunology/virology ; Hepatitis B virus/*genetics ; Hepatitis B Core Antigens/*immunology ; Hepatitis B Antibodies/*analysis ; Female ; DNA, Viral/*analysis ; Adult