ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: ICAM-1 has been shown to be required for leukocyte migration into inflammed area and plays a significant role in inflammatory disease including bronchial asthma, and various infectious disease such as tuberculosis and malaria. Although, the significance of soluble ICAM-1(sICAM-1) in rickettial disease has not been recognized. The present investigation was designed to evaluate the sICAM-1 levels in patients with tsutsugamushi disease, and the correlation factors between sICAM-1 level and subject characteristics including clinical and laboratory indices. METHODS: Eight normal controls and thirteen patients with tsutsugamushi disease underwent serum sampling for sICAM-1 level, which was measured by using ELISA kit. RESULTS: 1) sICAM-1 level is significantly elevated in patients group. 2) sICAM-1 level is a significantly correlation with AST level, titer of anti-tsutsugamushi antiboby, and leukocyte counts, but other factors such as age, sex, differential fraction of leukocyte, ALT, duration of fever, and total hospital day etc, are not. CONCLUSION: These results show that sICAM-1 may be a role in the pathogenesis of tsutsugamushi disease.
Subject(s)
Humans , Asthma , Communicable Diseases , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Fever , Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 , Leukocyte Count , Leukocytes , Malaria , Scrub Typhus , TuberculosisABSTRACT
Fabry's disease is a rare, inborn error, sex-linked disorder of glycosphingolipid metabolism with death occurring from myocardial or renal involvement at 4th or 5th decades. The primary metabolic defect lies in the deficient tissue activity of the enzyme alpha-galactosidase A which results in progressive accumulation of the specific neutral glycosphingolipids, cerebroside dihexoside(CDH) and cerebroside triihexoside(CTH), within the lysosomes of endothelial, perithelial and smooth muscle cells of the cardiovascular and renal systems predominantly. Clinical manifestations are sequelae of the anatomic and physiologic alterations produced by the progressive deposition of glycosphingolipid in the tissues. We report the first case of successful renal transplantation in a patient with Fabry's disease in Korea. The patient was a 33-year-old male. Fabry's disease was confirmed by measurement of serum alpha- galactosidase level and renal biopsy. Biopsy finding showed lamellar inclusion bodies on electron microscopy. Galactosidase activity was also markedly decreased. He has been well for 49 months.
Subject(s)
Adult , Humans , Male , alpha-Galactosidase , Biopsy , Fabry Disease , Galactosidases , Inclusion Bodies , Kidney Transplantation , Korea , Lysosomes , Metabolism , Microscopy, Electron , Myocytes, Smooth Muscle , Neutral Glycosphingolipids , TransplantationABSTRACT
Fabry's disease is a rare, inborn error, sex-linked disorder of glycosphingolipid metabolism with death occurring from myocardial or renal involvement at 4th or 5th decades. The primary metabolic defect lies in the deficient tissue activity of the enzyme alpha-galactosidase A which results in progressive accumulation of the specific neutral glycosphingolipids, cerebroside dihexoside(CDH) and cerebroside triihexoside(CTH), within the lysosomes of endothelial, perithelial and smooth muscle cells of the cardiovascular and renal systems predominantly. Clinical manifestations are sequelae of the anatomic and physiologic alterations produced by the progressive deposition of glycosphingolipid in the tissues. We report the first case of successful renal transplantation in a patient with Fabry's disease in Korea. The patient was a 33-year-old male. Fabry's disease was confirmed by measurement of serum alpha- galactosidase level and renal biopsy. Biopsy finding showed lamellar inclusion bodies on electron microscopy. Galactosidase activity was also markedly decreased. He has been well for 49 months.
Subject(s)
Adult , Humans , Male , alpha-Galactosidase , Biopsy , Fabry Disease , Galactosidases , Inclusion Bodies , Kidney Transplantation , Korea , Lysosomes , Metabolism , Microscopy, Electron , Myocytes, Smooth Muscle , Neutral Glycosphingolipids , TransplantationABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates the change of the left atrial appendage function before and after electrical cardioversion to understand the mechanism involved in systemic thromboembolism of atrial fibrillation. BACKGROUND: Systemic thromboembolism associated with electrical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation is thought to originate from the left atrium or left atrial appendage, or both.However, the mechanism involved is poorly understood. METHOD: We studied left atrial appendage function funcction with transesophageal echocardiography in 15 patients with atrial fibrillation before and after successful electrical cardioversion. We measured left atrial appendage emptying and filling velocities and left atrial appendage areas. Also we analysed the characteristic Dopper flow pattern of LAA. RESULT: Left atrial appendage emptying velocities before cardioversion were greater in patients without(32.0+/-13.2cm/sec) than in those with(21.4+/-7.6cm/sec) spontaneous echo contrast(SEC). Furthermore emptying velocities after cardioversion were significantly reduced group with (21.4+/-7.6 vs 12.2+/-9.6, p<0.05) and the groupwithout(32.0+/-13.2 vs 18.1+/-10.2, p<0.05)SEC. CONCLUSION: After electrical cardioversion for atrial fibrillation left atrial appendage function is impaired. These observations suggest that stunned left atrial appendage after cardioversion may predispose to thrombus formation, which may play a role in the mechanism involved in the occurrence of thromboembolism after cardioversion.
Subject(s)
Humans , Atrial Appendage , Atrial Fibrillation , Echocardiography, Transesophageal , Electric Countershock , Heart Atria , Thromboembolism , ThrombosisABSTRACT
Cholangiocarcinoma is a form of adenocarcinoma arising from the intrahepatic or extrahepatic biliary epithelium. Apparent predisposing factors include some chronic hepatobiliary parasitic infsttations, congenital anomalies with ectatic ducts, sclerosing cholangitis and chronic ulcerative colitis and occupational exposure to possible biliary tract carcinogens. Patients with cholangiocarcinoma usually present with biliary obstruction, painless jaundice, pruritus, weight loss and acholic stools. Because the obstructing process is gradua1, the cholangiocarcinoma is often far advanced by the time it presents clinically. The diagnosis is most frequently made by cholangiography following ultrasound demonstration of dilated intrahepatic bile ducts. We report a case of common bile duct cancer spreading to gallbladder and common hepatic duct along the biliary mucosal epitherium and submucosal tissue in 68-year-old female patient along with a review of literature.