No abstract available.
Blood Platelets ; Mean Platelet Volume ; Urticaria

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

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

Reactions to Hymenoptera stings are classified into local reactions, large local reactions, systemic anaphylactic reactions, systemic toxic reactions, and unusual reactions. They are also classified into immediate and delayed reactions. The most frequent clinical patterns are large local and systemic anaphylactic reactions. The skin, and the gastrointestinal, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems can be involved. A variety of unusual or unexpected reactions, such as acute encephalopathy, acute renal failure, nephrotic syndrome, silent myocardial infarction, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, rhabdomyolysis, and cataracts, occur in a temporal relationship to insect stings. Here, we report a 31-year-old woman with delayed generalized edema, weight gain, and unusual reactions 24 hours after bee sting.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Adult ; Anaphylaxis ; Bees ; Bites and Stings* ; Brain Diseases ; Cardiovascular System ; Cataract ; Edema ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hymenoptera* ; Insect Bites and Stings ; Myocardial Infarction ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Rhabdomyolysis ; Skin ; Weight Gain

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

Sialadenoma papilliferum (SP) is a rare benign neoplasm that normally arises from the minor salivary glands, particularly in the palate. SP is normally encountered in older men with an exophytic papillary surface growth. In the present study, an SP of the hard palate of a 69-year-old woman was examined immunohistochemically. Myoepithelial cell markers, such as S-100, smooth muscle actin and vimentin, were observed in the basal or luminal layer of tumor cells, indicating that myoepithelial cells participate in the pathogenesis of SP. In addition, cytokeratin 7 was also strongly detected in the tumor cells, suggesting that excretory ductal epithelial cells have a role in its histogenesis. A review of the literature of immunohistochemical studies on SP showed that the expression and co-expression of cytokeratins and myoepithelial cell markers have been reported in tumor cells. These results suggested that excretory duct cells and myoepithelial cells participate in the pathogenesis of SP.
Actins ; Aged ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratin-7 ; Keratins ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth ; Palate ; Palate, Hard ; Phenobarbital ; Salivary Glands, Minor ; Vimentin

BACKGROUND: This study was to evaluate a nationwide nosocomial infection rate and antimicrobial resistance in intensive care units(ICUs) in Korea. METHODS: The study was carried out at 16 university-affiliated teaching hospitals from July through October 2004. We performed a prospective multicenter study to investigate nosocomial infection rates, device-associated infection rated, and causative pathogens and their antimicrobial resistance. RESULTS: The urinary tract was the most commonly involved site. Nosocomial infection rate was 12.48 in medical. ICU (MICU), 9.59 in medical surgical ICU (MSICU), 14.76 in surgical ICU (MSICU), and 11.60 in other lCU. Device-associated infection rates were as follow: 1) rates of urinary catheter-associated urinary tract infection were 4.26 in MICU, 3.17 in SICU, 4.88 in MSICU, and 5.87 in other ICU; 2) rates of central line-associated bloodstream infection were 3.24 in MICU, 1.56 in SlCU, 2.36 in MSICU, and 1.78 in other ICU; 3) rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia were 3.61 in MlCU, 13.05 in SICU, 1.68 in MSICU, and 4.84 in other lCU. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently identified microorganism in this study; 93% of S. aurues were resistant to methicillin; 17% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated were resistant to imipenem; 11% of Enterococcus faecium and 18% of Enterococcus faecalis showed resistance to vancomycin. Over a half of Acinetobacter spp, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli showed resistant to fluoroquinolone. Conclusion: This study shows the seriousness of antimicrobial resistance and the importance of infection control in the lCU in Korea. This study should provide a theoretical strategy to enforce the infection control.
Acinetobacter ; Cross Infection* ; Enterococcus faecalis ; Enterococcus faecium ; Escherichia coli ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Hospitals, University* ; Imipenem ; Infection Control ; Intensive Care Units* ; Critical Care* ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Korea* ; Methicillin ; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated ; Prospective Studies ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Stenotrophomonas maltophilia ; Urinary Tract ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Vancomycin

OBJECTIVE: We compared the expression pattern of progesterone receptor, integrin 3, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in in-phased endomerium of patient with the disease related implantation and control group, and tried to confirm the clinical efficacy of the immunohistochemical markers for discrimination of occult uterine receptivity defect in in-phase endometrium. STUDY DESIGN: Endometrial tissues were obtained from 60 women with normal (group 1; n = 20), uterine synechiae (group 2; n = 15), and endometriosis (group 3; n = 25). On 7 ~ 8 days after ovulation (POD 7 ~ 8), sex hormone levels were measured and immunohistochemical staining of PR, integrin 3, and COX-2 expression were performed. RESULTS: PR was decreased in the group 2 and increased in the group 3 comparing with the group 1. integrin 3 expression was significantly decreased in the group 2 and 3. COX-2 expression was significantly decreased in the group 2. But, in the group 3, COX-2 expression was slightly increased in glandular epithelial cells, and significantly increased in stromal cells. CONCLUSIONS: In-phase biopsies from patients with endometriosis and uterine synechiae showed different expression pattern of integrin 3, COX-2, and PR compared to the control. The aberrant expression of immunohistochemical markers be associated with occult uterine receptivity defect and produce the useful diagnostic method.
Biopsy ; Cyclooxygenase 2* ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Endometriosis ; Endometrium* ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Gynatresia ; Humans* ; Ovulation ; Progesterone* ; Receptors, Progesterone* ; Stromal Cells

BACKGROUND: Doppler variable of mitral inflow have been used to assess left ventricular siastolic function indirectly. Pulmonary venous flow(PVF) variables could supplement mitral inflow in the estimation of left ventricular diastolic function. The purpose of this study are to assess the feasibility of PVF measurement by using transthoracic pulsed wave Doppler echocardiogram and to estimate the LV end-diastolic pressure with PVF parameters. METHODS: Fifty six patients underwent transthoracic pulsed wave Doppler echocardiagraphy (HP Sonos 1500) within 2 hours before left heart catheterization for the measurement of left ventricular pressure. RESULTS: 1) Measurement of transthoracic PVF was feasible in 50 patients(89.3%). 2) The difference between the duration of pulmonary venous reversal flow and mitral A wave(D difference, delta D) was strongly correlated with left ventricular end diastolic pressure(r=0.73, p<0.01). PVF reversal duration exceeding that of mitral A wave predicted left ventricular end diastolic pressure > or =12mmHg(sensitivity 90.6%, specificity 50.0%). CONCLUSION: PVF could be assessed with transthoracic Doppler ultrasound with good feasibility. PVF may be an important parameter in the evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function. PVF reveral duration exceeding that of mitral A wave would be a marker of elevated left ventricular end diastolic pressure(> or =12mmHg). Plumonary venous flow . Transmitral inflow . Left ventricular end diastolic pressure. Transthorasic doppler echocardiography.
Blood Pressure ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Echocardiography, Doppler* ; Humans ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography ; Ventricular Pressure