Long-Term Effects of Diesel Exhaust Particles on Airway Inflammation and Remodeling in a Mouse Model

PURPOSE: Diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) can induce and trigger airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of long-term DEP exposure on AHR, inflammation, lung fibrosis, and goblet cell hyperplasia in a mouse model. METHODS: BALB/c mice were exposed to DEPs 1 hour a day for 5 days a week for 3 months in a closed-system chamber attached to a ultrasonic nebulizer (low dose: 100 microg/m3 DEPs, high dose: 3 mg/m3 DEPs). The control group was exposed to saline. Enhanced pause was measured as an indicator of AHR. Animals were subjected to whole-body plethysmography and then sacrificed to determine the performance of bronchoalveolar lavage and histology. RESULTS: AHR was higher in the DEP group than in the control group, and higher in the high-dose DEP than in the low-dose DEP groups at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The numbers of neutrophils and lymphocytes were higher in the high-dose DEP group than in the low-dose DEP group and control group at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The levels of interleukin (IL)-5, IL-13, and interferon-gamma were higher in the low-dose DEP group than in the control group at 12 weeks. The level of IL-10 was higher in the high-dose DEP group than in the control group at 12 weeks. The level of vascular endothelial growth factor was higher in the low-dose and high-dose DEP groups than in the control group at 12 weeks. The level of IL-6 was higher in the low-dose DEP group than in the control group at 12 weeks. The level of transforming growth factor-beta was higher in the high-dose DEP group than in the control group at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The collagen content and lung fibrosis in lung tissue was higher in the high-dose DEP group at 8 and 12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that long-term DEP exposure may increase AHR, inflammation, lung fibrosis, and goblet cell hyperplasia in a mouse model.

Plug-Assisted Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration of Spontaneous Splenorenal Shunt for Refractory Hepatic Encephalopathy: Case Series

Intervention treatment such as balloon retrograde or anterograde transvenous obliteration has been used for management of refractory hepatic encephalopathy as well as gastric variceal bleeding. Recently, plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration without a help of balloon was newly developed to treat these patients. Here, we report three cases suffering refractory hepatic encephalopathy who were treated with this new technique.

Acute Pulmonary Coccidioidomycosis and Review of Published Cases with Lung Involvement in Korea

Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection caused by Coccidioides immitis. The endemic area is mostly south-western United States. As increasing in overseas travel to endemic areas, the incidence rate has been recently increased in non-endemic areas. The diagnosis may be delayed in non-endemic area. It is important to elicit traveling histories and to differentiate lung consolidation with eosinophilia, for timely diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis. Recently, we experienced a case with pulmonary coccidioidomycosis in a Korean American who visited Korea showed consolidation in right lower lobe on chest X-ray and prolonged eosinophilia. In the case, a confirmatory diagnostic method was percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy of lung. We report acute pulomonary coccidioidomycosis case and review previous published reports with pulmonary manifestation in Korea.

A Case of a Gallbladder Infarction after Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization, Recovered with Only Medical Treatment

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is suitable treatment method of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for patients with decreased underlying liver function or unresectable disease. But this procedure can induce some embolic events. We report a case of a gallbladder infarction caused by the embolic event in TACE procedure. A 61-year-old man had been going to undergo 6th TACE for marginal recurrence of HCC. After the procedure, gallbladder infarction occurred and was detected by abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan for response evaluation of the treatment at out-patient-clinic. Then, he was treated with oral antibiotics and conservative therapy at out-patient clinic. In 6th week after the event, abdominal CT scan showed improved state of gallbladder.

Primary Pulmonary Leiomyosarcoma: Could It Be Cured by Radiation Therapy?

Primary leiomyosarcoma of lung is extremely rare and often diagnosed as a mass on routine chest radiography. Although advances have been made in treatment protocols, leiomyosarcoma remains one of the more difficult soft tissue sarcomas to treat. Surgical resection is usually curative for small and well-differentiated sarcomas. For poorly differentiated and non-resectable tumors, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are used as neoadejuvant or palliative treatment options. Generally, leiomyosarcomas are known to be resistant to radiation therapy alone. The authors experienced a 68-year-old woman who was diagnosed leiomyosarcoma by routine chest radiography. Although disease progression was observed despite of chemotherapy, radiation therapy reduced the size of tumor. This paper describes the curative potential of radiation therapy for primary pulmonary leiomyosarcomas through a case report and literature review.