Alteration of Interleukin-6 Levels in Brain Tissue and Serum of Rats after an Experimental Brain Contusion

PURPOSE: Cerebral contusion is often associated with delayed edema, ischemia, demyelination, and secondary impairment in the neurological function. Early prediction of the outcome for patients with diverse critical illnesses has long been a concern of intensive care unit physicians. Recently, the systemic release of host-derived inflammatory mediators has been used for prognosis assessment in patients with multiple infections, burn injury, and systemic infection. Experimental investigations have revealed the importance of free radicals and calcium currents in cellular damage. Also experimental injuries have caused an early production of cytokines. This study was undertaken to analyze the production of interleukin-6 in the brain and in plasma following a brain contusion. METHODS: Sixty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, each weighing 300-350 g were used in an experimental group following brain contusion, and 18 SD rats were used as a control group following a sham operation. Intracerebral IL-6 and plasma IL-6 were measured by using the ELISA method with a rat IL-6 kit at 3, 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours after the brain contusion. After contusion, the brains were fixed by perfusion via the carotid artery with 40% formaldehyde, glacial acetic acid, and 100% ethanol (1:1:8) at a flow rate of 25 ml/min and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histologic examination. RESULTS: Brain IL-6 levels increased to reach a maximum of 160.23 pg/ml, at 6 hour after brain trauma. Plasma IL-6 levels increased to 70.02 pg/ml at 3 hour following brain contusion. CONCLUSION: The elevated brain IL-6 level in the injured rat does not seem to reflect a systemic inflammation. Although plasma IL-6 is detected in the sham-operated and the traumatized rats, the levels are too low to account for the increase observed in the brain cortex. This finding shows that the increase in brain IL-6 is related to the dynamics of brain contusion.

Clinical Evaluation of Facial Laceration Patients Who Visited Tertiary Emergency Medical Center

BACKGROUND: Facial laceration is a common clinical problem in the emergency room that is frequently associated with other craniofacial injuries. It elicits an emotional response from the patient because of the underlying concern of permanent scar and secondary facial disfigurement, so they demand prompt and adequate treatment. The aim of this study is to analyze the incidence, etiology, depth, and site of facial lacerations to provide basic data for further understanding. METHOD: This study reviewed 1,043 facial-laceration patients treated in the emergency room at Pusan Paik Hospital between March 1999 and February 2000. This retrospective study was done by reviewing and analyzing the sex and age distributions, the monthly and daily distributions, the causes of injury, the types of injury, the sites of injury, the lengths of the lacerations, and associated injuries. RESULTS: The sex ratio of men to wemen was 2.4:1, and the 0~10 age group was at the top of the age distribution. The number of patients was the highest on sundays and during March. About 9.2% of the patients visited the emergency room between 10:00 P.M. and 11:00 P.M. Falls(38.1%) were the most common cause of facial laceration, and deep laceration(51.8%) was the most common type of facial laceration. The most common laceration site was the forehead, followed by the chin and the nose. The most common associated craniofacial injury was facial bone fracture(39%). Facial-lacerations were sutured by plastic surgeons(80%), emergency physicians(10%), and oromaxillofacial surgeons(10%). We found statistical significance in the types and lengths of lacerations between men and wemen, among age groups(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Facial laceration is one of the most common craniofacial injuries in the emergency room. By now, most lacerations have been repaired by plastic surgeons. But, the causes of lacerations are diverse and many patients are admitted due to the associated injuries. Therefore, emergency physicians should participate more aggressively in the care of facial-laceration patients to improve the outcome of the patients.

The Study on Comparing the Expression of the Collagen IV with different Histopathologic Features of the Colorectal Carcinomas

The malignant potential of a tumor is related to its ability to dissociate invasion and seed other sites-metastasis. In either instance, the tumor cells are confronted with a barrier signif icantly composed of type IV collagen. This type IV collagen is a major structural protein of basement membranes. Using immunohistochemical method to detect type IV collagen, intensity of stain and continuity of basement membrane at the tumor-stromal border was studied in surgical specimens from 47 colorectal carcinomas at the Pusan Paik-Hospital. Immunoreactivity was evaluated semi-quantitatively as three categories; Type-1, thick or normal basement membrane with or without minimal discontinuity; Type-2, thin basement membrane with or without moderate discontinuity; Type-3, fragmented or absent basement membrane. Also, in each case the tumor morphologic features were identified. The histologic type, differentiated grade, desmoplastic response, lymphatic and vascular invasion, lymph node involvement, tumor size and modified Dukes' stage were estabilished. Type-1 immunoreactivity was significantly observed in well-differentiated, negative lymph node, Dukes' stage B1/B2 tumors, and Type-3 was in poorly differentiated, positive lymph node, Dukes' stage C2/D. The expres sion of collagen IV in basement membrane was statistically significant correlated with differentiated grade, lymph node metastasis and modified Dukes' stage. By contrast, no statistically significant correlation was found between paucity of type IV collagen and the other parameters. The result suggest that expression of type IV collagen in basement membrane may be a useful prognostic marker, and may play a part in the invasive and metastatic process of colorectal carcinomas.

A Study on the Relationship between CEA Immunohistochemical Findings and Expression Rate of PCNA and Clinicopathologic Factors of Colorectal Cancers

Immunohistochemical study was performed for CEA staining patterns and PCNA indices. And the relationship between immunohistochemical findings and well-known clinical prognostic factors on the purpose of the clinical usefulness was evaluated. In forty seven cases of surgically removed colorectal carcinomas, the results were as follows; CEA staining patterns were apical (17 cases) and cytoplasmic (30 cases) type. Carcinomas with cyto plasmic pattern for CEA revealed more advanced Dukes' stage and more undifferentiated type and higher incidence of lymph node metastasis and were correlated with increased serum CEA levels. But PCNA indices showed no correlation with the Dukes' stage, histologic grade and CEA staining patterns. The cytoplasmic pattern of CEA immunohistochemistry may be a useful marker suggesting more aggressive biologic behavior of the colorectal carcinomas.

A Study of Hyperventilation Syndrome in Emergency Department

One hundred patients with hyperventilation syndrome presenting to emergency department(ED) were studied. Those were diagnosed on clinical basis by emergency medical physician. The male to female ratio was 15 : 85. In monthly distribution, the numbers of patients were increased during the two months, June and July. The 41% of patients visited the emergency center from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.. The most common predisposing factors were the domestic problems, especially those between husband and wife(37%). Presenting complaints were dyspnea(34), paresthesia(30), muscle spasm(24), dizziness(6) and palpitation(6 patients). The initial examination of the patients in the ED were as follows, systolic blood pressure(134+/-7.15mmHg), heart rate(87.67+/-14.34/minute), respiratory rate(22.21+/-3.34/minute) and body temperature(36.61+/-0.31 degrees C, n=98). Arterial blood gas analysis showed alkalemia(pH 7.51+/-0.09) and hypocapnia(PCO2 26.67+/-8.30mmHg). After emergency cares, including carbone dioxide re-breathing and antianxietics, most of the symptoms were disappeared. The mean duration of stay in ED was 3.27+/-0.23 hours. The most important considerations in diagnosis of hyperventilation syndrome was the patients's history and the effective management was carbon dioxide rebreathing for a few minutes and antianxietics.