Immunoreactivity of Calcium-Binding Proteins in the Central Auditory Nervous System of Aged Rats

OBJECTIVE: While many factors contribute to aging, changes in calcium homeostasis and calcium related neuronal processes are likely to be important. High intracellular calcium is toxic to cells and alterations in calcium homeostasis are associated with changes in calcium-binding proteins, which confine free Ca2+. We therefore assayed the expression of the calcium binding proteins calretinin and calbindin in the central auditory nervous system of rats. METHODS: Using antibodies to calretinin and calbindin, we assayed their expression in the cochlear nucleus, superior olivary nucleus, inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body and auditory cortex of young (4 months old) and aged (24 months old) rats. RESULTS: Calretinin and calbindin staining intensity in neurons of the cochlear nucleus was significantly higher in aged than in young rats (p<0.05) The number and staining intensity of calretinin-positive neurons in the inferior colliculus, and of calbindin-positive neurons in the superior olivary nucleus were greater in aged than in young rats (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that auditory processing is altered during aging, which may be due to increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration, consequently leading to increased immunoreactivity toward calcium-binding proteins.

Bacteriology of Chronic Otitis Media: Changing of Detection Rate of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Chronic suppurative otitis media is one of the most common diseases in the otologic field. Along with development and widespread use of antibiotics, the kinds of pathogenic microorganisms and their resistance to antibiotics have been changed. It is thus significant to know the current trend of species and resistance rates of pathogens for choosing appropriate antibiotics. To investigate the current bacteriology of chronic suppurative otitis media and compare the current results with previous results. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A retrospective study about chronic otitis media patients with otorrhea was performed from Jan, 2000 to Dec, 2005. RESULTS: The most commonly identified pathogenic bacterium was methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The next frequent pathogenic organisms were Pseudomonas, Coagulase (-) Staphylococcus (CNS) and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). CONCLUSION: There was difference between the results of the present study and previous results regarding pathogenic organisms and antibiotics-sensitivity. Continuous and periodic surveillance about pathogens and antibiotics resistance is necessary to guide appropriate antibacterial therapy.

Analysis of Allergic Rhinitis according to New Classification Regarded by ARIA(Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) Guideline : Difference with Classification by Antigen Detected by Multiple Allergen Simultaneous Test(MAST) / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES : Allergic rhinitis has previously been classified as seasonal, perennial or occupational according to duration of exposure to allergens ; this classification, however, has posed difficulty for care providers in planning the stepwise treatment of allergic rhinitis. According to the ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) workshop report, allergic rhinitis was re-classified as intermittent or persistent according to duration of symptoms, and mild or moderate-to-severe according to severity of symptoms. There has been no reports regarding the distribution of allergic rhinitis by using the new ARIA classification. We aimed to find out the distribution of allergic rhinitis according to the new ARIA classification and its usefulness in clinical use. Subjects and METHOD : A total of 502 allergic rhinitis patients were subjected to this study. They were classified under the previous classification into seasonal, perennial, and multiple. They were classified by new ARIA classification into persistent mild, persistent moderate-to-severe, intermittent mild, and intermittent moderate-to-severe. Their distribution and characteristics were analyzed. RESULTS : When classified according to previous classification, patients sensitized with perennial allergens, seasonal allergens and multi-allergens were 326 (64.9%), 63 (12.5%) and 113 (22.5%) respectively. According to the new ARIA classification, persistent mild, persistent moderate-to-severe, intermittent mild and intermittent moderate-tosevere patients were 82 (16.3%), 161 (32.1%), 159 (31.7%) and 100 (19.9%) respectively. The patients sensitized with perennial allergen were classified to persistent mild (17.5%), persistent moderate-to-severe (32.5%), intermittent mild (31.6%), intermittent moderate-to-severe (18.4%) by new ARIA classification. Half of patients with intermittent symptoms were sensitized by perennial allergen. Among the patients sensitized by only seasonal allergen, 24 (36.5%) had persistent symptoms. There were no difference in group distribution between the rhinorrhea-sneezer and blocker groups. CONCLUSION : Patient distribution by the new ARIA classification was different from the previous classification. From the point of clinicians, the new ARIA classification might be more useful for stepwise treatment and exact evaluation of allergic rhinitis patients than the previous classification.