Epidemiological Surveillance of P and G Genotypes of Group A Rotavirus Detected from Diarrheic Patients in Daejeon Region

During 3 years surveillance (January 2001 through December 2003) for acute gastroenteritis in human in Daejeon region, 432 out of 4,869 stool samples were selected as rotavirus-positive specimens by means of antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The P (VP4) and G (VP7) genotypes for 432 stool samples were investigated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and nested multiplex PCR. The most prevalent P subtype was P[8] (44.9%), followed by P[4] (25.7%) and P[6] (17.1%). No cases for P[10] and P[9] subtypes were found through the study. In G subtyping, G1 (53.2%) was the most frequently found G type, followed by G2 (23.1%), G3 (9.5%), G4 (6.7%), and G9 (0.9%). The order of detection rates for G2, G3 and G4 was variable by years. The most common G- and P- type combination found in this study was G1P[8] (33.1%), followed by G2P[4] (20.4%), G1P[6] (10.0%), G3P[8] (7.2%) and G4P[6] (4.2%). The mixed types of G and P were observed most frequently in P[8] (1.4%) and G1 (3.2%), respectively. This is the first molecular epidemiological study for Group A rotavirus in Daejeon region. The results might be useful data for evaluating the epidemiological status of rotaviral diarrhea in the region.

The change in phospholipase C-gamma1 expression following balloon injury to the rat carotid artery / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: While inositol phospholipid-specific phospholipase C (PLC) plays a central role in signal transduction pathways, little is known about its role in the vascular response to injury. Recent studies have shown that phospholipase C-gamma1 (PLC-gamma1) is required for PDGF-induced DNA synthesis and angiotensin II signaling. This study was undertaken to determine the potential involvement of PLC-gamma1 in the in vivo response to vascular injury. METHODS: Vascular injury was achieved in the left common carotid artery of six-month-old male Wistar rats. The expression of PLC-gamma1 was evaluated at serial time points by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis following balloon de-endothelialization of the rat carotid artery. RESULTS: In the denuded carotid artery at 1 week, the neointima became thicker in a symmetrical manner with respect to the long axis. A strong expression of PLC-gamma1 at one week after injury was seen primarily in the thin layers of neointima. This increased immunoreactivity of PLC-gamma1 persisted at 2-3 weeks after injury, coinciding with the time when neointima gains of its mass. At 4 weeks after injury, staining intensity slightly declined but levels remained elevated. As determined by Western blot analysis, the amount of PLC-gamma1 was about 3-fold higher at 3 weeks after injury compared to uninjured vessels (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the amplification of traffic within signal transduction pathways involving PLC-gamma1 occurs and may play a significant role in neointima formation following arterial injury.

A case of malaria in the kidney transplanted patients with maintenance immunosuppression / 대한내과학회지

Malaria infection is not uncommon in Korea these days, but there was no report of malaria infection in the patients who had been transplanted his or her kidney. With the immunosuppression, the atypical findings are frequent and make prompt diagnosis difficult. We report a case of malaria which showed atypical clinical course but treated successfully with conventional anti-malarial drug therapy. A 37 year old male patient were transplanted his kidney in Sep. 1997. He was admitted because of fever, which lasted 40 - 50 min every afternoon for 27 days. Numerous trophozoites were found on his peripheral blood smear, which was diagnosed as vivax malaria. Chloroquine and primaquine were given, and fever subsided next day. The patients has been stayed afebrile thereafter. We reported a case of malaria in the renal transplanted patient with the review of literatures.

Effect of Carvedilol on the Growth of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Background and objectives: Carvedilol is a cardiovascular drug, beta- and alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist, currently approved for the treatment of hypertension, angina, congestive heart failure by FDA. Carvedilol has been shown to attenuate oxygen free radical-initiated lipid peroxidation and to inhibit neointimal formation of aorta following vascular injury by balloon angioplasty. We have investigated the effect of carvedilol on DNA synthesis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) stimulated by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Rat aortic smooth muscle cells were obtained by the combined collagenase and elastase methods. Cells between the 4th and 8th passages were used for the experiments. Incorporated radioactivity of [3H]-thymidine was measured by liquid scintillation spectrometry. RESULTS: PDGF-BB (1 nM) increased [3H]-thymidine incorporation about 70-100% over basal value in cultured VSMC. PDGF-stimulated increase in DNA synthesis was significantly suppressed by simultaneous administration of carvedilol. In contrast, propranolol did not significantly affect 3[H]-thymidine uptake in rat aortic VSMC. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrate that carvedilol significantly inhibits the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cell in our condition. These results indicate that carvedilol may be effective in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases principally associated with abnormal vascular smooth muscle growth.

Association of Carotid Artery Intimal-Medial Thickness with Left Ventricular Hypertrophy

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is a diffuse disease process that produce thickening of the vascular wall because of intimal deposition of lipid, fibrous tissue, and calcific material. Nowadays it is possible to evaluate atherosclerotic changes of carotid arteries accurately by developed noninvasive techniques such as ultrasonography. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is known to be an important risk factor for cardiovascular events in hypertension. The purpose of this study was to establish whether the carotid intimal - medial thickness (IMT) correlates with the severity of LVH. METHOD: We measured intimal-medial thickness (IMT) for 12 sites in carotid arteries (near and far walls in common carotid, bifurcation, and internal carotid arteries of both sides) by B-mode ultrasonography in both 38 normotensive and 72 hypertensive patients. Left ventricular measurements were made according to the recommendations of the American Society of Echocardiography. Left ventricular mass was derived from the formula described by Devereux et al. and each left ventricular mass value was indexed to body surface area. And then we have investigated whether hypertensive patients have significant changes of carotid IMT and IMT correlates with left ventricular mass index (LVMI). RESULTS: (1) Most hypertensive patients had diffuse thickening of the carotid artery and some had focal or multiple plaques. (2) In general, mean IMT was widest in the carotid bifurcation. (3) The mean IMT of all 12 segments increased about 40% in hypertensive patients compared with normal control group. (4) LVMI significantly correlates with IMT of carotid artery, especially bifurcation site and mean all 12 segments. CONCLUSION: The mean IMT may serve as a useful marker of the severity of atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients. The significant association between carotid IMT and LVMI suggests a simultaneous correlation of carotid atherosclerosis with left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertension.